Half Of My Heart
by Xtyne
Summary: Sequel to Make This Go On Forever; Ellie's blood was irresistible to vampires. Eric Northman wanted her, claimed her as his. But there are others that want her, for her blood and for her mysterious powers. Eric's choices may just seal her fate forever.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

The god awful music played softly throughout the crowded club. I rolled my eyes at the cheesy lyrics to the music being played. Of all things that had to be played in a vampire bar, they had to pick the worst possible songs. I watched the patrons with a careful eye, amused at some of the antics of the pathetic humans. They gave our race a horrible name with their capes and fake fangs, practically begging the vampires to either fuck them or bite them. I almost laughed at the looks on the vampires faces when the humans would lay their hands on their thighs or any other body parts. It was like they were diseases. Though I'm sure half of these humans did have some sort of sexually transmitted disease. Some of them didn't look all that great in their leather clothes that barely covered their bodies. There were the ones that acted like this was just a vampire version of Disneyland, and I think those were the ones that amused me the most.

Though really, a Vampire Disneyland would be a rather big draw.

Just saying.

I chuckled to myself as I turned back around on the bar stool I sat on, smiling at the bartender, Chow. He hardly gave me a second glance as he leaned against the back of the bar with a look of boredom on his face. He was Asian and rather good looking, if you were into the tattoos and wary vampire look of course. He never once tried to harm me the hundreds of times I had been in here, so I couldn't really judge the vampire. He kept to himself and was loyal to the owner of the bar. That was the best you would get out of him. He did draw a good chunk of cash for Fangtasia, women pouring into the club just to catch a glimpse of the hunky vampire.

"A Negative." An unfamiliar voice beside me spoke.

Chow gave the vampire a onceover before grabbing an already warmed bottle of true blood and setting it down in front of the new vampire. I eyed him out the corner of my eye, and wondered if I had ever seen him in here before. But as I looked him over, I knew I hadn't. I would have remembered this stranger. My eyes just about bugged out and I had to look straight ahead to control my hormonal urges. He was gorgeous. Vampire or not, he was drop dead sexy (pun intended). I could tell he was tall by the way he hunched over his bottle of True Blood, his arms muscled, his body lean and toned underneath the tight black shirt he was wearing. His hair was pitch black and wavy as it fell just into his coal coloured eyes. I had been around quite the handful of vampires since the Great Revelation occurred two years ago, but I could easily say that he was in the top five of hunks I had ever had the privilege of sitting beside. There was no way to describe this vampire other than using the word gorgeous. I almost wanted to run one of my hands through his silk like hair, or let a hand roam around one of his muscled arms.

I shook my head, pulling myself out of my trance.

_Get a hold of yourself!_

I decided on moving to a booth, to get as far as I could from this handsome stranger. If I didn't, I surely would turn into one of those pathetic humans and try to jump this vampire.

"You don't seem like the others."

Oh god, he had an accent!

I just about melted into jello at hearing the accent. It wasn't the usual accent that was versed here in Louisiana. He sounded British...no, Australian. The easiest way to a girl's heart was with an accent, and Australian was at the top of my list every time.

At first I didn't even realize he was talking to me until I noticed his eyes were staring at me. My cheeks heated up as I eyed him out the corner of my eye once again. He was looking at me with pure interest, and I just about lost it. Those eyes were mesmerizing. I just felt like taking him out back and jumping him.

I was really losing it!

"Are you alright miss?" His accent was thick.

"Oh...Oh I'm just fine!" I let my dark hair fall into my face as I looked over at Chow for help. He however, wasn't behind the bar anymore, probably changing shifts with Pam. Pam got a bit too rude when she had to spend too much time with idiotic humans at the front door. Shit, I war son my own for this one. "I should ah, get going."

"Don't let me be the reason for your departure." He was off of his seat and in front of me as I slid off of my stool.

I was forced to stare up at his gorgeous face, and I just about fainted. Whoever made this man a vampire was a genius. Forever being able to grace the human race with a face like that? Pure friggin genius!

"No no, I just...ah..." I bit my bottom lip, trying to think of a plausible excuse. I was never well versed around men. I never had much experience of talking to gorgeous creatures other than the tall blonde asshole I was forced to associate with. This vampire however, oh I would give anything to have one nice long night with him.

God what was wrong with me? I had just met this stranger and I already wanted to get in his pants!

Stupid hormones!

"Jeffrey." The vampire offered his name. "May I have the pleasure of your name?"

"E-Ellie." I stuttered. Five letters, two syllables and I couldn't even say my own name!

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He took my hand, bringing it up to the lips I wanted nothing more than to feel against mine. He placed a light cool kiss on the top of my hand, keeping it there for a moment longer than normal. His eyes closed as he sniffed in my scent, and that was when I knew that this gorgeous creature wouldn't want me just as a good fuck.

Oh no, he was going to want me as a late night snack.

My eyes widened when he gripped onto my hand. I winced as his own hand almost crushed the bones in mine as he pushed his nose against my wrist. I tried to tug my hand back, but it was no use. He had a vice like grip on my hand, and the only way he was going to let me go was when I was dead. I jumped when I heard the click of his fangs. He couldn't do this here. There were humans around, vampires. Chow and Pam were just crossing paths across the room, they would see. Someone would surely do something. This vampire couldn't think he could do this here, now.

Could he?

"Don't you just smell delicious." His accented voice no longer held any appeal. It sounded dark and evil. And I was afraid it was going to be the last voice I would ever hear.

My heart raced as I began pulling for my release, pushing at his chest to get away from him. But he kept me pinned against the bar as his fangs grazed across the bright blue vein in my wrist. Where the hell was someone when you needed them? No one seemed to be paying us any attention, even when I waved my arm around wildly. They did however, realize what was happening once the stranger's fangs pierced my wrist, causing me to scream loudly.

"Stop!" I shrieked, trying desperately to pull away from him.

With a single clink, every single vampire had their fangs out. I knew my blood was irresistible. I had been told time and time again that my blood was intoxicating. I would surely die in this club. If not by this vampire, than by the countless of others that were now suddenly interested in me.

"Please." I pleaded with the vampire sucking my blood hungrily. He held onto my arm so tightly that my skin was turning white.

I whimpered as the pain grew. I could already feel myself grow faint, my legs about to give out under me. But I never had a chance to pass out. The vampire that had been sucking my blood was torn off of me faster than anything I had ever seen before. I gulped as I pulled my arm tightly against myself, nursing it as I gazed around at the hungrily staring vampires. My bottom lip trembled as I sought to escape the confines of the club. When a hand flew out to mine, I let out another scream, only to have it muffled by a hand.

"It's only me child."

I calmed immediately as I stared into the blue green eyes of none other than Godric, the 2000 year old vampire. My body relaxed as I stared at him helplessly. He held my bleeding wrist in his hands, and I could even see the flicker of lust in his own eyes. But he did not once taste my blood; he didn't try and finish the job off. He instead rubbed his hand higher up on my arm, relaxing me further. I gazed over across the room where the vampire was pinned to a table, the fangs of a slicked back, blonde haired Viking baring down at him.

"She's mine." Eric Northman growled possessively.

I never thought I would be so glad to hear those two words being spoken before in my life.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

"You should have killed the asshole." I mumbled as I nursed my still bleeding wrist.

Eric growled again as he continued to pace the length of his office. Pam and Chow had been ordered to close the bar earlier than normal, and to escort the vampire Jeffrey out of the area. He also gave another demand of Pam in a language I couldn't understand, but I didn't question what he asked of his progeny.

"He would have been punished by the Magister for killing him." Godric explained to me, staring at his own child with worry. "Eric, calm my child."

Eric's body was tense as his fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly. I watched with interest at the way he was acting. He had never acted in such a possessive manner before. Not once since returning to Shreveport had he given me much more than a glance. I had handed over every single part of myself to the tall blonde vampire while in Dallas to rescue Godric, and he just took it and used me. I knew that he brought whores home to the nest, and I definitely knew what he did down in the basement with the new exotic dancer he and Pam had hired. I didn't ever object, or question his actions. I knew better than to assume that suddenly after one night (or rather morning) of wild passionate sex, Eric would just change. He wouldn't. He hadn't. He was just the same old Eric Northman he had been when I was first here under his protection.

The only difference was Godric. He kept Eric's anger in check, and made sure his temper never got too out of control. It was the only plus of having to live here. Not that I would choose to be anywhere else. I needed Godric in my life, even if it included Eric. We both had wishes of death back in Dallas. And we both refused to let the other go. So we were forced to walk this earth with one another, and I think that was the only way we wanted it. Or at least at the moment. I couldn't bear to go through all that had happened without Godric. There was still a lot of healing time needed with the attempted rapes, murders, shootings, and oh yeah, weird mysterious powers to add onto my already telekinesis powers. I surely would have shot myself in the face if Godric had met the sun like he had wanted to.

Or I would have shot Eric in the face.

But then again, that wouldn't have done much damage to the smug vampire except to wipe that smirk off his face for a good while.

Hm, maybe I should consider doing just that one time.

"Eric." Godric stood in Eric's path, causing the much taller vampire to stop suddenly.

Eric growled once again, glaring down at his younger appearing maker. "Godric."

"Calm down, Eric." Godric laid a hand on the chest of his child, trying to ease his anger. "Elizabeth is perfectly fine."

"Well I am bleeding." I waved my wrist around. "Which by the way...if we could fix, that would be fantastic."

"Of course." Godric nodded.

But before Godric could even lift a finger to do anything about the wound, Eric was beside me on the leather couch in a flash. I jumped and yelped in surprise, but didn't move as Eric held my wrist gingerly in both hands. I was frozen as he just stared down at the blood stained wrist for the longest time. He didn't wait too long before he bent his head down, his tongue flicking over the wound. I let out a small cry of pain, which only caused him to tighten his hold. It didn't hurt, unlike the other vampire's grip on me, but it held me still as he continued to lap up the blood. I had to grit my teeth as small shots of pain ran through my arm whenever he got too close to the savagely made bite marks. The vampire must have been newer; he was messy.

"Eric..." My eyes closed as his lips began sucking on the wound, though his fangs had yet to click out.

Eric snapped out of it and pulled away. My eyes opened quickly when I heard him biting into his own wrist. I shook my head at first, not wanting to take his blood. But one look at the vampire told me not to argue. I sighed and let him place his bleeding wrist at my mouth. My tongue lightly ran over the blood before beginning to suck at his wrist.

"Have you ever seen him before?" Godric questioned Eric as I drank. I felt a hand run through my hair, and I leaned into Eric subconsciously.

"Never." Eric shook his head, a frown on his face. "I've never seen him in my area."

"He was new." Godric mused. "I could tell."

"He wouldn't have been so careless if he wasn't." Eric nodded in agreement, slowing easing his wrist away. "That's enough Ellie."

I felt embarrassed, as always, at enjoying his blood. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and stared up at Eric. His expression was blank, as it usually was. At least he wasn't smirking.

And there it was. That smirk I just loved to hate.

And loved to love of course. Damn this Viking for being even more drop dead gorgeous than the crazy vampire that could have killed me.

How come all the good ones were usually the bad ones?

Bad luck I say.

"How do you feel, Elizabeth?" Godric asked, pulling me out my thoughts.

"Better. Thanks." I sent the last comment to Eric, who was already standing from the couch. "I thought you had business in Bon Temps?"

"We could feel your pain." Godric explained, though he shot Eric a look that I couldn't understand. It did, however, make me feel like he wasn't telling the entire truth. "We came as soon as we could."

"Well you came at a good time. If he didn't kill me, it looked like everyone else would." I traced a finger over the spot on my wrist that should have shown at least a scar. But the skin was smooth and flawless.

"Nonetheless, you're safe." Godric offered a smile. "That's all that matters."

I watched Eric as he sat at his desk, a faraway look in his eyes. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I knew better. Vampires didn't exactly like to be questioned. Or talk about their feelings, now that I thought about it. Godric was the odd one out who would never shy away from any question I asked, no matter how personal. It was the one thing that I loved about the vampire. He always treated me as an equal instead of just a silly little human he could have eaten as dinner.

"Would either of you mind if I just went home?" I asked softly, breaking the silence in the room. "I'm a bit...tired."

"Of course." Godric nodded. "I can take you."

"I can go myself, Godric." I shook my head. "What's the use of giving me a new car if you never give me a reason to use it?"

"I'll take her." Eric stood abruptly.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I can take myself."

"You couldn't even handle yourself tonight against a vampire that was barely a year old." His stare was hard as he walked over and yanked me up to my feet with a swift move of his arm, his hand grasping my upper arm.

"If my defence, he was rather good looking." I defended. "I couldn't concentrate on using my powers because of it."

"You're useless." Eric muttered as he pulled me from the office, Godric sighing loudly behind us but didn't make a move to follow us. "What's the use of you having this gift if you can't even use them?"

"Hey, don't go throwing this all on me." I poked at his arm as he pulled me through the empty club. "When do I ever get a chance to practice them? You're always barging in on Godric and me practicing with that attitude of yours."

Eric growled as he pushed open the doors of the bar, pulling me behind him as the cold breeze hit my arms. It may have been Louisiana, but there was no denying the winter months that were quickly approaching. It was cold, and as I was only wearing a dark purple dress, the wind went right through me. I shivered as Eric fished out the keys to his car, opening the passenger door and pushing me down into the vehicle. I muttered curses and crossed my arms as he shut the door loudly before sliding into the seat beside me in no time. I glared at him the entire time he drove him. He refused to meet my gaze, and instead concentrated on driving. I could feel the tension in the air however, it was thick and uncomfortable. Part of me wanted to shake him, to hit him and to hate him for not giving a damn about me. He seemed to have a least some sort of a heart back in Dallas. But that changed the moment we came back here. He was just the usual Eric Northman that I had hated before.

Hated, but of course still wanted to have sex with.

I couldn't be blamed of course. I had experienced the real thing with this vampire, and all I could say was wow. I wouldn't mind him taking me right now in this car. God I needed to get laid more often! He probably could feel my sudden arousal. My cheeks flamed as I quickly looked out the window, trying to think of anything but what this Viking looked like naked.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I was grateful when Eric pulled into the driveway of his home minutes later. I went to jump out of the car and hurry on into the house, but was stopped by Eric grabbing onto my arm. I grumbled as he led the way through the front door, locking up behind him. He never once let go of me as he walked through the main floor, turning a few corners before stopping at the door that led to the basement. I raised an eyebrow as he opened it and pulled me down the stairs after him.

"Why are we going down here?" I asked, trying to tug my arm away. The longer I spent in the presence of this vampire, the more aroused I was becoming. I really needed to stop getting into situations where it called for his blood. It was only making my attraction towards him worse.

Eric never answered as we reached the bottom and he began tapping in the code to open the light locked door. As always, I looked away and became oblivious to what he was doing. Eric may drive me insane half of the time, but I didn't wish for anything to happen to him. I couldn't predict what may happen in the future. If someone kidnapped me, and tried to get information out of me concerning this Viking, I didn't want to give away anything that could potentially harm him. And knowing the code to get into his day resting place was a sure way to get him killed. He never asked me to look away, but I respected his privacy enough to do so on my own.

"Eric?" I questioned as he pulled the door shut tightly behind him. He still hadn't let me go and began pulling me over to the large kings sized bed. To one side was a small office room, and to the other was a living space. The bathroom attached to the room was large and luxurious. I had the privilege of spending some time in there during my first stay at his home. Of course, that was long before we slept together in Dallas. He had only brought me down here to sleep beside him to get rid of the nightmares I had about my could have been rapists. But I hadn't had any of those dreams in over two months since returning back to Shreveport. So I really didn't understand why I was here.

I jumped when I felt his hand on my side, sliding up to the small zipper that started at the top of the dress. I gulped as he slowly began unzipping the dress, my body completely frozen to the spot as he did so. My heart was racing, and I was sure he could hear that as he began tugging the dress down, leaving me in only my bra and panties. I self consciously wrapped my arms around myself as I stepped out of the dress that was now pooled on the floor. Eric and I hadn't been this close since Dallas, and I felt a bit out of place. I of course wanted nothing more than to just be with Eric, but I always felt so self conscious and uncomfortable when I was practically naked around him. I wasn't the typical blonde that he enjoyed most of the time. I was short, had my dark brown hair back after the dye wore off from Dallas, and had more curves than his usual whores. I wasn't tall, leggy, or blonde. So why would he have any interest in me?

"Bed." He pointed a long finger at the perfectly made bed.

I stared between the bed and Eric, and frowned. "Eric, I can sleep in my own bed."

"Bed." He repeated a bit more forcefully.

"I haven't had a nightmare in two months." I reasoned with him, shifting uncomfortably.

"Am I going to have to force you to get into the bed?" His striking blue eyes narrowed.

I sighed and shook my head slowly. There was no use trying to argue with this vampire. He was stubborn and hard headed. If he wanted something, he would make sure it happened. Even if that did mean by using force. With nothing else to do but to crawl into bed, I walked around one side and slid in. I turned on my side so my back was facing Eric as I began hearing him peel off his own clothes. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to calm my racing heart. There were still a few hours till dawn, so I didn't understand why Eric was coming to bed so early. But I didn't voice any opinion about it.

I felt a cool arm slide around me before suddenly yanking me up against his chest. I squirmed in his grasp before his lips met with my neck, his normal set of teeth nipping at the skin, silently telling me to behave. I mentally cursed at him before shifting around to search for a comfortable position. When he nipped at my earlobe this time, I was forced to stop. Uncomfortable or not, I wasn't about to piss off Eric Northman. So I just laid there, his cool skin against mine. His unneeded intakes of breaths comforted me as I drifted off to sleep, not caring at all that I was trapped against this vampire's chest for the night.

* * *

**A/N:** so I'm back with the sequel to Make This Go On Forever! If any of you that are reading this and haven't read that story, then I would go do that now or else you'll probably be a bit lost. I thought I would get out a few chapters of this fic today and tomorrow, before wednesday comes and I'm stuck packing all day, and then thursday/friday I won't really have time or the internet to do anything. So expect at least another chapter or two, and then the weekend will be the next time I'll be able to update again. I'm going to loosely follow the plot of the third season, but with my own little twist. We'll also find out more about Ellie's mysterious powers this story. so i hope you enjoy this fic as much as the first!


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

There were really only two big complaints about falling asleep next to a vampire.

The first was the fact that they were dreadfully cold. It may have been Louisiana, but not even this state was incapable of getting cool fall afternoons. And as we were sleeping in the basement of a house that had no windows to allow sunlight to warm up the place, it was freezing cold. As a vampire, Eric or even Godric, couldn't tell the difference between extreme heat and freezing cold weather. They were just always cold. It never bothered them. But it most definitely bothered me. It was great to have Eric's cold arm around me during those warm humid nights during the summer. But it was fall now, nearing winter, and the weather outside was getting colder by the day. Not to mention, this basement was freezing. Vampires didn't need heat, which meant the house was always like living in one large freezer. I tolerated it with longer sleeve shirts and pants, but it was a bit hard to do so when I was only in a bra and panties, lying up against a vampire that was cold himself.

I was shaking against Eric who was dead to the world. His arm was locked around my waist, and with his strength, made it so that I couldn't move more than an inch from the vampire. The bed sheets were thin over us, and didn't warm me up at all. I sought the comfort of a nice warm blanket, and eyed one that lay over the back of the couch across the room. But no matter how many times I tried to pry his arm from around me, I just could not move that damn thing. I was probably going to freeze to death. That would be an interesting surprise for the vampire to wake up to.

I didn't want to die from the cold. I hated the cold. It was uncomfortable and...well cold!

I tried to think of what to do. I could attempt to wake Eric up, but I knew better than to wake up a sleeping vampire. As I glanced at the clock, I saw that it was only two in the afternoon, which mean Eric wouldn't be up for at least another three hours. So I was trapped in this predicament until then with no possible way to get warm.

And that's when I wanted to hit myself. Extremely hard.

I was a Telekinetic for god's sake! I could move things with my mind!

What a fool I was! I had been lying here awake for an hour and not once did it cross my mind to use my extraordinary, and rather annoying, powers to fetch the blanket from across the room. I was an idiot.

Scrunching my face up in concentration, I tried my hardest to relax. I kept shaking, and tried to just ignore the ice cold body beside me. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I remember the first time I had ever tried to use my powers. It had taken deep concentration, and a happy memory to be able to relax myself and focus on moving a simple pencil. But now I could do so much more. I still had some struggle with large objects, especially moving people. But I was determined to do so. I had used my powers on Eric to prove a point that I wasn't defenceless in Dallas. Of course my powers didn't help me do a damn thing when I was almost getting myself killed multiple times. But the fact that I could do it was rather amazing. Especially since he was a 1000 year old Viking. It had however, taken a good amount of energy to do so and I was left weak for a good part of the night. With smaller objects, ones that did not weight a lot like a blanket, it only took a moment until the object would begin moving.

As I expected, I opened my eyes to see the blanket floating in the air above the couch. With a wave of my hand, the blanket slowly floated over to the bed. I grinned from ear to ear as I grabbed it and pulled it around me. It didn't aid the fact that Eric was still freezing cold, but it did allow me to curl up under something much warmer than a thin silk sheet. With the added warmth, I allowed the exhaustion to set in and fell back asleep, unknown to the bright blue eyes that had been watching the entire time.

* * *

I woke up feeling warm, which was quite the contrast to earlier. It felt like my skin was burning. The blanket was itchy on my arms, and I wanted to fling it off. Actually I wanted to dunk myself into a bath of ice cold water. That's how warm I was. How the hell did I go from freezing my ass off, to feeling so warm I probably could have cooked an egg on myself? Maybe I was having a hot flash. Though, I wasn't sure if that was possible for a 22 year old girl to have hot flashes. But there really was no other explanation. I actually found myself shifting more towards the vampire that still lay beside me, welcoming the coolness of his skin. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt his cool arm move, the blanket being pulled off of me. I sighed out of relief as I turned onto my other side and snuggled up against Eric. I ignored his tensing body and just let the coolness wash over me. The silk sheet was push down and was only on my legs, and I still felt warm as anything. It was like someone had just turned the heat on full blast.

Oh wait...

"Eric!" I whined, causing the vampire the snicker. "Why is the heat on?"

"You were cold." He stated simply.

I tried not to be completely surprised at the fact that he had actually done something considerate. "You were awake earlier?"

"Yes."

"Which means you could have let me go get a blanket or get changed into warmer clothes then." I poked at his chest.

"I could have, but I didn't."

"Asshole." I grumbled, moving my head up so I was staring into those crystal blue eyes. Damn him for having the most amazing eyes. "So you just enjoyed seeing me freeze to death?"

"I was waiting to see how long it would be until you used your powers." He shrugged, his arm loosening around my waist. I frowned and shifted even closer to the vampire, quite enjoying his cold body. "It was rather amusing watching you lie there like a complete idiot an entire hour."

"Asshole times ten." I mumbled, closing my eyes. "Well you achieved what you want. Me being an idiot. Great. Now can we turn the heat off already? I'm boiling here!"

Eric snickered and I should have known right then that this wasn't going to turn out good for me. In one quick movement, he had me in his arms and out of the bed. I squirmed as he walked over to the bathroom, kicking the door open as he went. I was completely unaware of what he had planned at first, but the moment he dropped me down into the shower, I had a funny feeling. He smirked down at me as he turned the water onto its coldest setting before letting the water drench me almost immediately. I shrieked at the vampire, attempting to run out. But his hands were on my hips and pushed me back into the freezing cold water, closing the door as he did so.

"I so hate you!" I yelled at the vampire.

I glared through the glass door as he winked and walked back out of the bathroom, leaving me alone to shiver my ass off. I quickly fixed the dials so the water would be a little less cold. I did keep it as cold as I could manage however, needing to cool myself down. I smiled to myself as I ran a hand through my drenched hair, pulling it away from my face. The water felt nice on my body, quickly washing away the warmth. I grabbed the shampoo bottle of mine that was on the shelf just outside of the shower, still left there from the last time I had stayed here before Dallas occurred. I was a bit surprised that Eric kept some of my belongings still in this bathroom, like my toothbrush that was by the sink. Was he suspecting that I would be down here again? Did that mean he wanted me down here? He never brought any of his whores here; he would always use one of the many spare bedrooms on the second floor, sometimes not even making it there. But he had not once brought another girl down here. Was that just because he knew he could trust me, or was it something else?

I shook my head and slapped myself lightly on the cheek. What was I thinking? Eric didn't see me as anyone special. I was just a tasty treat and a mystery he wanted to solve. That was all. If Godric wasn't here, I'm sure he wouldn't give a rat's ass about me. Anything that occurred in Dallas was just a one time thing. Eric surely did not want to have sex with me again, and I shouldn't be so desperate to want it. Maybe I needed to distract myself with another man. Perhaps one that wasn't tall, blonde and a Viking in their former life. Perhaps I could even find someone who was living and breathing. Actually, they didn't even need to have a heartbeat; I just needed someone around that wasn't going to treat me like a piece of meat.

I sighed as I placed my hands on the same wall as the shower head, letting the water cascade down me. I bowed my head and just let myself relax. My eyes closed as I breathed evenly. I never realized how relaxing a shower could be. But then again, it was hard to take five minutes to myself when I had Eric stomping around. I was surprised he was even letting me take a breather and giving me space. Actually, I was just surprised he wasn't barking some type of order at me. And part of me was shocked that Godric wasn't around to make sure I wasn't being swallowed up by the shower monster. I loved Godric, but I swear he got more overprotective by the day!

I wasn't sure when, or how I slipped into such a trance that I drifted off, but I surely did. I could vaguely feel hands on me, massaging the soap into my skin. I didn't move as I kept my stance, just letting the hands roam up and down my body, slowly and enticing. My body shook as a hand dipped in between my legs, teasing me before coming around and massaging my ass. I moaned as a hand kneaded at my breasts, softly at first, and then a bit forcefully. An arm came around my waist and suddenly yanked my hips back, meeting with his arousal. I moaned even louder as it met with my entrance, slowly pushing in. The hands were back on my breasts as he began pumping in and out, causing my breathing to grow rigid. My eyes were squeezed shut as my heart raced, the pleasure spiking.

"Oh, Eric..." I moaned out as his fangs grazed at my neck, teasing me. "Do it."

"I'm not Eric." The voice was lower, with an accent that was all too familiar.

My eyes flew open, my mouth in a perfect O as his fangs pierced my neck. I screamed out, not in please, but in pain as the strange vampire hungrily ripped at my neck.

It felt like everything was happening in slow motion. My body was jostled awake as I continued to scream, twisting around to try and find the vampire that had viciously been feeding from me. But I was alone in the shower. I felt my neck up, and found that everything was perfectly still intact. My screams died down, but I could still feel the hands on me. I shuddered and twisted around again, to make sure I was alone. I ended up tripping, and fell to the floor of the shower with a thud. I whimpered as I scrambled to the corner, hugging my legs to my chest. I could still feel the hands. They were everywhere. I could feel my own arousal still there, as if it had been real the entire time.

"Elizabeth?" the familiar voice came barging into the room. I hugging my legs to myself even more tightly as the shower door was torn open, revealing Godric's concerned face. "What's wrong?"

My bottom lip trembled as a tear slipped down my cheek. Godric reached over and turned off the water as he stepped in and knelt in front of me. I wanted to point out that he was getting his cotton pants wet, but I found I couldn't speak.

"I can feel so many things from you right now." He reached a hand up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing away the tears. "But your fear," he closed his eyes for a brief moment. "That is the strongest."

"I-I thought he was here." I shuddered.

"Who, child?" Godric questioned.

I thought hard, but I knew the answer to that question. That voice had been unmistakeable. Especially since it was the only Australian accent I had heard in my life.

"T-that vampire from last night." I mumbled.

Godric frowned as he wiped away a few more tears. "You're safe Elizabeth. There's no one here but you and I"

I nodded, but continued to shake. It felt so real, like he had been right there behind me, pleasuring me. And in the end, trying to kill me.

"Shh Elizabeth." Godric wrapped his arms around my naked wet form, lifting me up with ease.

I felt embarrassed at Godric seeing me in such a way, and hid my face in the crook of his neck. Godric didn't say a word as he walked out of the bathroom and placed me on the bed. I sniffed as I went to try and hide myself, but Godric stopped me. He laid a soft kiss on my forehead before walking over to Eric's closet and pulling out a rare coloured t-shirt. I expected him to give me the shirt and let me put it on myself, but he instead did it for me. I could feel my cheeks burn up as he slid each arm through the sleeves that were huge on me. He tugged the shirt over my head, pulling the fabric over the rest of my body. There was an electric shock as his hands grazed my bare skin, and I almost jumped back at the result. Godric paused for a moment, staring down at his hand, before completing the task. I couldn't look him in the eye, and instead looked around the room searching for Eric.

"Where's..."

"He had left for Fangtasia just before you started screaming." Godric explained, running a hand through my wet tangled hair.

"I-I don't understand Godric." I bit my bottom lip as Godric slipped back into the bathroom, only to come back out with my old hairbrush in hand. He positioned me so he was sitting behind me, pulling the brush through my hair slowly to not cause any pain. "Why did I have a...dream about him? I didn't have his blood."

"I don't know, child." Godric answered truthfully. "But it seems there is much more to this vampire than we first assumed. I'll speak with Eric later about it."

I sighed heavily and closed my eyes, actually enjoying the feel of having Godric brush my hair. It was soothing, comforting almost. And considering that dream...or whatever it was, soothing and comforting was exactly what I needed right now.

* * *

**A/N:** So this will most likely be the last chapter till the weekend. I move to my new apartment Thursday, so I'll be moving and unpacking the entire day, and i won't be getting internet until sometime friday whenever the guy comes, so saturday will be the next time I'll be able to update unless I get a hit of inspiration tonight or tomorrow when I should be packing. I do have to say, that I've read that some of you think there should be someone else in the picture other than Eric...and let me just say...I totally agree. I'm not going to give anything away, but I can say that Eric isn't the only one who will be after Ellie's heart in this story (well, that is of course, if Eric could just act like he cared for once lol), but please feel free to speculate! I like reading what you all think will happen, sparks my interest lol


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

A few hours later I found myself sitting on Eric's desk in Fangtasia, my legs dangling towards the ground in between his long legs while he sat in his desk chair. There was a look of concentration on his face as his eyes roamed every inch of my body, as if searching for one little hair to be out of place. I watched him closely, a bit surprised at how he was acting. The moment Godric and I walked through his office door, he had pulled me over to his desk and lifted me up onto it. It had been nearly half an hour now, and he still hadn't said a word. Godric sat on the couch, observing the whole thing silently. I was beginning to get a sore back, and felt incredibly awkward while just sitting there. I squirmed and attempted to hop down, but Eric laid his cool hands on the top of my knees, sending a chill down my spine. Even clad in jeans, a simple touch from the Viking made me go wild.

"You're not hurt?" He finally spoke, his eyes rising to meet mine.

I shook my head.

"And this was just a...dream?"

"I guess so." I shrugged.

"It was like the ones you've had of me?" He raised an eyebrow.

My cheeks flushed a light pink colour as I simply nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

"Interesting." He cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure you didn't have a drop of his blood?"

"Pretty sure."

"Are you now?"

"I was a bit too busy having him biting my wrist than to try and get a taste of his blood." I replied in an agitated tone.

He merely sat back, lifting his hands off of my knees. "Very interesting. Perhaps it was only a dream."

"I...I don't have those kind of dreams though." I fidgeted.

"You do."

"Well yes, of you. But that's because of our blood bond." I pointed out.

"Have you had any dreams of Godric?" there was a smirk playing on his lips, though oddly enough, the smirk didn't reach the eyes that had suddenly gone quite cold.

"Eric, we don't need to know if she's had such dreams." Godric spoke up, feeling the tension in me spike.

"It would be helpful to know everything, don't you think Godric? Maybe she's had these sorts of dreams about everyone she's met. Then we wouldn't have anything to worry about." Eric briefly glanced at Godric before back up at me. "So, Ellie? Any dreams featuring my maker?"

"Maybe." I mumbled as quietly as I could, wishing that neither of them had supersonic hearing.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Kind of." I chewed on my bottom lip as I stared down at my shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

"I don't think I heard you." He pestered, knowing full well he had heard me both times.

"Fuck you." I growled, glaring at him. "I said yes."

His smirk widened, though the coldness in his eyes grew icier. I quickly looked away as I felt the heat rise up in my face. I was sure both of them could feel my embarrassment, and I hated it. I hated not being able to have any sort of privacy because both of these two vampires could feel everything that I felt, even if it was the slightest emotion. I couldn't lie, I couldn't bend the truth, I couldn't keep anything a secret. I absolutely hated it. Sometimes a girl just needed her privacy, needed to be able to think and feel things that others shouldn't know about. Certainly not these two vampires. I never wanted Godric to know I've had such dreams about him. It had only been the one time, until a few months ago in Dallas, and then another dream occurred. This one was more...well it was longer than any of the other dreams I've had before, and quite possibly the most pleasurable. My cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red at the mere thought of it. I shouldn't be thinking such ways about Godric of all people. He was like a brother to me. It was wrong, wasn't it? Sure Godric was gorgeous, I wouldn't deny that. He wasn't a tall Viking, but he stood at a good height, had a toned build, and his eyes were absolutely beautiful. There were times I would get lost in them for hours. But we had a bond that I could never think of breaking, something deeper than just a blood bond. Any sort of dream of that kind would just ruin our friendship. It felt weird to even think he was good looking.

"Someone is thinking some embarrassing thoughts." Eric chided.

"Shut up Eric." I grumbled, sliding down off of the desk and knocking past his leg to move around the desk.

"Is there anyone else you've been having naughty dreams about? Or is it just us?" Eric leaned forward, a wicked look on his face.

He really could be an asshole sometimes.

"Have any dreams of the three of us together?"

"Stop being an insufferable jerk!" I could feel my eyes watering. I felt terrible enough as it was; Eric was just making it worse.

"Now now Ellie, we just need to know the..."

"Just leave me alone." A tear slipped down my cheek and I quickly rubbed it away.

I shot around the desk, heading towards the door. A hand flew out however, grabbing onto my arm and guiding me to them. Godric's arms wrapped around me in a comforting manner and I completely melted in his embrace. I sniffed as dug my head into his chest as Godric tightened his hold on me.

"That was completely unnecessary, Eric." Godric didn't sound pleased at all. "You know such dreams happen because of the blood bonds."

"Well maybe she's having dreams about other men, we don't know." Eric insisted. "If she is, then we have nothing to worry about."

"And if Elizabeth is just innocent? What then, my child?"

"Well then we have a problem on our hands." Eric answered truthfully. "But until Ellie just answers the question, we'll never know."

"No, you asshole!" I moved so I could glare at Eric. "I haven't had any of these sorts of dreams before these stupid blood bonds were formed! Are you happy now?"

"Yes." Eric replied smugly. "Except the fact that we now have a problem."

"Perhaps we should have Pam and Chow ask the vampires in your area if they've seen him before. Gather some more information." Godric suggested, his hand running up and down my back soothingly. "I'll contact Isabel and question if she's ever seen him in her district."

"That will be for the best. Pam!" Eric shouted, calling for his progeny.

I didn't pay attention to anything that was said, and instead just tightened my arms around Godric, my breathing slowly getting back to normal. Godric lifted my head up, offering a small smile as he wiped the tears away. This was exactly why I couldn't have those sorts of dreams or thoughts about Godric. It would just ruin this. And I quite liked this. He reminded me so much of my brother, always comforting me and making me feel safe. I didn't want to lose that over some stupid dreams I had no choice in.

"Don't upset yourself over something that you can't help, Elizabeth." He comforted softly. "It's my own fault if you've experienced such dreams. I never did warn you about that side effect."

"I-it's not your fault." I shook my head, noticing Pam was no longer in the room, and neither was Eric. "Where did they go?"

"To speak to Chow and find out what they could about the mysterious vampire. What did you say his name was?"

"Jeffrey." I rubbed at my eyes, amazed at how tired I felt. I suppose having a creepy dream and a couple meltdowns really wore you out. "Can we leave? I...I don't want to be here anymore."

"We'll go home." Godric nodded.

I shuddered involuntarily at the word home, remembering the dream with the Australian. Maybe home wasn't such a good idea.

"Could I maybe...could we maybe..." I looked up at Godric with a hopeful look on my face. "Could we maybe go to Bon Temps?"

I couldn't read the expression on Godric's face to try and gage whether he would say yes or not. I shifted from one foot to the other nervously as I stared up at him.

"Her shift should be over soon. We don't have to be long. I just...I don't know if I want to go back home just yet."

Godric cocked his head to the side as he cupped my cheek. His lips were cool on my forehead as he pressed them against my skin, causing me to close my eyes at how nice they felt.

Wait, what was I thinking?

"We'll leave now." Godric smiled down at me as he pulled back. "You deserve a night out for once."

"Really?" My eyes brightened.

"Of course. I'll let Eric know where we'll be and then we can leave. I'll meet you at the back door."

I gave him a small smile. "Thanks Godric."

"I would do anything to put that beautiful smile on your face Elizabeth."

My face burned as I mumbled incoherently and stepped away from Godric. He left the room seconds later, leaving me alone to my thoughts. I ran a hand through my smooth hair, thanks to Godric brushing my hair for me. I blushed at that thought alone. It was such a simple thing, but for some reason, it felt so intimate. I needed someone to slap me for all of these thoughts. Maybe I'd ask Sookie to do the favour.

* * *

I was just about bouncing on the balls of my feet when Godric and I entered Merlotte's not even an hour later. I absolutely loved this little bar, even though I had only been here a grand total of three times. Usually I was only able to see Sookie when she would come to Fangtasia with Bill, but there were those three times when I had been able to get Eric and Godric to agree to let me go to Bon Temps. With an escort of course. But I never minded. A chance to spend time with the one person in the world who could understand everything was absolutely priceless.

"Oh you're here!" Sookie bounded over to us, her blonde hair swaying from side to side. "What a surprise!"

"Hey Sook." I hugged her tightly. "I was hoping we could hang out for a bit after your shift, unless you have plans with Bill."

"He and Jessica are spending some bonding time together." Sookie shook her head, speaking about the vampire Bill had to create. "I'm off in an hour if you and Godric want to wait around."

I shot Godric a look, who nodded with a smile. I grinned and followed Sookie who led us to a back table. After taking our order, which Godric insisted that I eat, she went back to tend to her other customers. I gazed around at the bar, noticing a few familiar faces. Jason, Sookie's brother, was at the bar talking with who Sookie pointed out to be her best friend Tara. Jason caught my eye, and waved, which I returned with a warm smile. I could feel Godric's eyes on me the entire time, but I did my best to ignore them as I caught sight of the bright red haired waitress that I remembered was Arlene. She looked like the world was ending with how she was running around the bar. I had to stifle a chuckle and turned my eyes away, landing on the owner of the bar, Sam. The first I met him was when Eric had accompanied me to the bar. He had been very insistent about it, even though he didn't give me a second glance all night. I think he just wanted to spot out another whore to add to the list. And he did of course, as I found him at the side of the building later that night. Sam had been rather sweet however when I began apologizing like mad for Eric. From what Sookie had told me, Sam was a good friend, but had his problems with vampires despite having true blood in stock. And considering Eric, I could completely understand. But Sam had been nothing but nice to me, and I was sure that if I was around the bar more often, we might actually be friends.

"Here you are." Sookie slid a plate in front of me and a bottle of true blood in front of Godric. "So how have things been, Ellie? We haven't talk in a week."

"In a shortened version," I lifted up my hand and began counting. "I met a hot Australian. He almost killed me. Eric is an asshole. Had weird creepy dream about Australian vampire killing me. Had a few meltdowns."

Sookie's eyes widened. "Oh my god Ellie! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Or as fine as I can be." I nodded, shooting Godric a quick look. "Though we're not sure why I just suddenly had a dream about the vampire when I was in the middle of having a shower."

"Wow." Sookie knelt down. "Are you sure you're alright, Ellie? Do you want to talk?"

"Later." I offered her a smile. "Arlene is shooting you evil looks. You better get back to work."

Sookie nodded but have me a tight embrace before skipping off to the kitchen window to grab her order. I sighed as I gazed away, glancing out the window. I munched on my food, but felt my appetite fading fast. A hand squeezed mine, and I looked over at Godric who had a worried look in his eyes.

"I'm fine Godric." I assured him.

"You're not." He shook his head. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing."

"I don't need to share a bond with you to know when you're lying."

"Everything is fine Godric." I pulled my hand out of his. "When Sookie is done work, would it be alright if I went over to her house alone? I just want to spend time with her, talk you know?"

"I'm not sure that would be the wisest idea, not until we know what this vampire wants."

"He can't come in uninvited." I reminded. "I'll be safer at Sookie's than at Fangtasia. It'll only be for a few hours Godric. I can call you when I'm done. Or I can just stay there."

"No, I'd rather if you didn't spend the night." Godric's expression hardened.

"You know, I'm a grown adult." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I don't need to be asking for your permission, but I am out of respect."

"I'm just trying to protect you, Elizabeth. I can't do that if you go off on your own."

"And I can take care of myself." I huffed. "What's the point of these powers if I don't get to use them?"

"You don't need to prove yourself by fending off danger."

"I thought that was the whole point of practicing them?" I narrowed my eyes. "I want to go to Sookie's and not have a 2000 vampire listening to every single word."

"Elizabeth..."

"It's bad enough, Godric, that I have you and Eric feeling _everything_ that I do. I have no privacy anymore. All I'm asking for is a couple of hours of girl talk. I'm not asking for the world, Godric. Don't I deserve at least that?"

Godric sighed and looked away. I couldn't read the look on his face, but I could tell that he wasn't happy. I just didn't care however. My feelings and emotions were evaded all of the time. I couldn't do a damn thing without them knowing what I was doing or where I was. All I wanted was a little time to myself, with my best friend. That wasn't asking for too much.

"I'm going if you like it or not Godric." I informed him. "You'll know where I am the entire time. You'll know if I'm ever in danger. You can park your car on the road and sit there for all I care. I'm just asking you for some time with my best friend to talk."

"And what would happen if this vampire tries to attack you and Sookie?" he turned his head back towards me. "What if I couldn't make it in time?"

"We'll stay inside the entire time." I insisted.

"We both know this vampire isn't exactly normal. I have my suspicions, and letting you go gallivanting around on your own is not one way to be sure of what that vampire could possible do."

"I won't be gallivanting around!" I threw my arms up, catching the attention of the patrons nearby. Even Sookie sent us a questioning look. "I'll be with Sookie."

"I don't think it's a good idea." Godric shook his head, leaning back and crossing his own arms.

"Well I don't care what you think Godric." I snapped.

Godric's eyes narrowed. This was the closest I had ever seen to Godric being angry with me. Not even when I had yelled at him in Dallas that he didn't care, did he look angry. But now, now he did. And I didn't like it once bit. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, but I also didn't back down from his stare. I did deserve to have some freedom, even just for a few hours. I wasn't about to damn well give in.

"Elizabeth," His voice sounded calm, though I could hear a hint of anger in his tone. "I believe we should go."

"No." I shook my head defiantly. "I'm going to go to Sookie's, and we're going to talk. Without you."

Godric suddenly stood, and before I could say another word, he had me by the arm and was pulling me out of the restaurant. I was a bit taken back by the physical force he was using. He had never done so before, always being the calm and sensible one. Though I suppose Eric had to learn his behaviour from somewhere. I was beginning to understand that maybe the Godric I saw, was much different than the Godric that others saw.

"Godric, let go." I tried to pull my arm out of his grasp once we were outside.

"You can invite Miss Stackhouse to Fangtasia another night." He spoke in a monotone voice.

"No, Godric!" I argued. "You can't treat me like some child! I'm 22 years old!"

"And I'm 2000 years old." He had me up against the side of his car in an instant. My eyes grew as wide as saucers as I stared at him in complete shock. I had never seen him snap before, or at least not at me. I was almost afraid at what he would do. "To me, you are nothing but a little child. We will be returning back to Shreveport, is that understood?"

I only nodded, my bottom lip trembling. Godric gave me a long stare before taking a step back and opening the car door. I slid in without a look at the vampire, knowing that the moment I looked at him, I would break down.

* * *

**A/N:** So i lied...here's another chapter! I got hit with inspiration last night when I was drained from packing, and figured I'd just finish it off in a way to wake me up today. a bit different side to Godric at the end there. He's so protective of Ellie that he can't control his own anger...hm...I wonder where Eric gets that from then...lol. this really will probably be the last chapter (tho knowing me, I'll probably try and procrastinate and write some more haha) so I will see you saturday with another update!


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

"Elizabeth, we should talk." Godric spoke the moment the front door was closed to the house.

I bit down hard on my bottom lip as I immediately went to the stairs and started up them.

"I apologize for my anger, but I am only trying to protect you."

I tried my best to ignore him as I stormed up the stairs and turned down the hallway. He was there in front of my room before I could even reach it myself. He stood in the doorway, his arms crossed as he waited for me. I gritted my teeth and refused to meet his gaze as I glared down at the floor.

"Elizabeth," he clasped a finger under my chin, forcing my head up. "I don't wish for you to be angry with me."

"Too late." I grumbled.

"Angering you was not my objective. Keeping you safe however, is." He reasoned. "I apologize if I happened to scare you, but I will not apologize for simply trying to protect you."

I crossed my arms and glared daggers at him. "Go away Godric."

"Elizabeth." He sighed, attempting to cup my cheek but I flinched away. His face fell as I took a step back away from him. I wasn't scared; I knew he would never harm me. But I was angry. Actually, I was livid. I just wanted Godric to move so I could try and get a moment to myself in my room. Before I broke down. I could feel my eyes watering, and I wished them back. I didn't want to cry in front of Godric again tonight, and certainly not because of him.

"Just leave me alone, Godric."

"We need to talk." He shook his head.

"You've stripped every ounce of my freedom away from me tonight; the least you can do is let me go to bed at my own will." I snapped at him.

His eyes closed as he inhaled deeply, a way to keep himself calm. At first I thought he wouldn't move, but after a moment he did. I slid past him and into my room, not giving him a second glance as I slammed the door in his face. I leaned against the closed door, the tears already slipping down my cheeks. I slid down the door, pulling my knees up to my chest and curled my arms around them. I knew Godric could not only hear me crying, but feel it as well. I just didn't care however. I felt like I was on a tightly wound leash, and I absolutely hated it. I hated him for it. It was one thing to be protective, but it was another thing to practically keep me locked up as a prisoner. I just wanted a few hours to talk to Sookie alone. Was that really so much to ask?

"Well isn't this funny, she's mad at you for once." Eric's arrogant voice could be heard through the door.

"Eric, this is not the time or place for your comments." Godric snapped.

"Tell me, Godric, what did you do to make her so angry? I could feel it the moment you pulled into the driveway." Eric sounded so pleased that I was angry with Godric. Quite the turn around to the last time I had shouted at Godric, which resulted in Eric ordering me to apologize and then leave. And that of course caused me to get shot and almost die.

"I'm merely trying to protect her."

Eric snickered. "Be a little less vague, Godric. I could use a good laugh."

"Not now, Eric." I could hear the anger in Godric's voice before he stormed down the hallway.

Eric continued to snicker, but didn't leave like his maker had. I sniffed and hid my face in my arms as I kept my back against the door.

"Ellie?" his voice was directed at me this time. I just about jumped when it was closer to my ear than I expected. He must be kneeling down, or something of the sort. "Let me in."

"No. Go away."

"I cannot handle your pathetic human emotions, let me in." Eric ordered.

"Just leave me alone. I want to be left alone!"

"If you don't let me in, Elizabeth, I will knock this door down." His voice was cold, his patience gone. "Open up."

My anger was getting to the boiling point now. Between the hurt that I felt, and the anger, I was shaking from head to toe as I snapped up and yanked open the door. Eric was on his feet faster than I was, and took a step forward. I narrowed my eyes however, and pushed my hand outwards. Eric stared down at my hand, and then to my face, as if asking what I was planning on doing. His eyes widened however, when he was suddenly pushed back into the opposite wall so hard, a dent was formed in the shape of his body.

"Leave. Me. Alone." I growled before slamming the door with such force that the wall shook slightly.

I was breathing heavily as I just stood there, glaring at the door. I could hear him curse and speak in another language. Godric was out there now, conversing with him. I was worried at first that they would come in here. But my anger must have been having an effect on the two vampires, as they quickly moved out of the hallway, leaving me completely alone. The moment they were gone, the facade that I had kept up instantly vanished. I could already feel my body growing weak from the sudden surge of power I had used. I was just able to get to my bed before my legs collapsed under me. I curled up on the bed, closing my eyes as my heart pounded fiercely in my chest. I knew I shouldn't have lost control and used my powers, but I just couldn't stop myself. I was angry, hurt, and just wanted to be left alone. Neither of those two knew the meaning of privacy, and I was damn well going to knock it into their head (literally if need be).

For now however, I just needed to rest. I had only been awake for a handful of hours and I was already exhausted. Using what little strength I had left, I slid underneath the sheets and dug my head into my pillow. I inhaled the familiar scent of my shampoo and immediately felt comforted. It didn't even take a full minute before I was drifting off, completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

* * *

It was late in the morning when I woke up feeling almost as crabby as I had when I fell asleep. My energy hadn't completely regenerated and I was sluggish as I moved around my bedroom, slipping into sweatpants and my brother's old shirt. As there were still hours before either vampire would be up and alert, I slowly made my way down the stairs and to the first floor. It took longer than usual as I had to stop on the stairs every so often, sitting down to rest. Usually it didn't take this long to regain my strength, but as I had used my telekinesis powers at a complete whim, I suppose it took more out of me than usual. It was worth it however, to see the look on Eric's face when I had been able to do so. It was hard to take a vampire by surprise, and I was happy to be able to do so. Even though it would probably cost me dearly. I could just imagine how angry he was right now.

But I couldn't worry about that. Not right now. I instead needed to get myself into the kitchen and try and restore my energy. Using the wall as support, I moved through the hallways slower than I would have liked. I eventually made it, and immediately plopped down at the kitchen table. I laid my head down in my arms as they rested on the surface of the table. Inhaling deeply in and out, I let myself relax completely. There was no point in trying to overdo it. I needed to regain my strength, and hopefully by tonight, but I couldn't do so if I pushed myself too much. I had learned much more about myself and these powers, though there was still so much that I wanted to know.

No, that I needed to know.

My eyes closed when my body began to grow warm. I shifted uncomfortably in the seat as the room suddenly rose in temperature. Or more like my body temperature jumped significantly. I moaned out as I tried to think of where the heat controls were. But I couldn't recall Eric every showing me those, there really was never a need to. Not that it would help. I hadn't felt the heat on when I woke up.

"Great, I'm getting sick." I groaned, pushing myself up onto my shaking legs and slowly padded my way over to the fridge. I was tempted with the idea of sticking my head into the freezer for a few minutes, but decided against it and just pulled out a cold bottle of water from the fridge. I held it again my forehead in a desperate attempt to cool down. When that didn't work, I moved to the back of my neck, and then to my wrists, and then back to my forehead. Nothing seemed to be working however, my body temperate rising drastically.

I moaned again as I leaned against the counter, taking a sip of the water, hoping that maybe that would aid the warmth. It did nothing but make me gag however.

"Really god, really?" I glared up at the ceiling, as if god would just suddenly appear there. Of all the times I could have gotten sick, it had to be now. I didn't want to be weak and needy after using my powers to knock Eric off his feet and arguing with Godric. I was supposed to hold my head up high and not back down from what I did or said. That was going to be a bit difficult when all I wanted to do was curl up next to one of them because I was so warm.

"I just need to cool down." I muttered to myself as I whipped open the freezer door and leaned my head on the door. My eyes closed as the freezing cold air washed over my face. There was a moment of relief, and I was about to celebrate. And then everything returned to feeling warm. Except now it felt like my own skin was boiling. I shut the freezer in agitation, causing the fridge to shake. I crossed my arms and tried to think of anything I could do to cool down. The only other option I could think of was taking a cold shower.

I fanned my face as I slowly began out of the room. My strength and energy seemed to be getting worse than when I had first waked up. I had to stop every few steps to lean against the wall, my breathing hard and rapid, as was my heart. I wiped the sweat that was pouring off my face as I used the wall for support as I took few more steps towards the stairs. After a long process, I was finally sitting on the bottom stairs resting. I gazed over my shoulder and moaned when I saw how much further I had to go. This wasn't going to work, there was no way I'd be able to get up there, I was too drained. But there weren't any showers on the first floor, leaving me absolutely stumped. I groaned and leaned back on the stairs, propping myself up on my elbows as they rest on a couple stairs above me. My stomach was beginning to churn now, and I knew right then that I was sick. The familiar feeling of vomit began creeping its way up my throat, and before I could even attempt to get to a bathroom, I was vomiting all over the stairs.

"gross." I grumbled as I wiped my mouth once I was finished. I tried swallowing down another feeling of vomit that was quickly coming back, but it was useless.

I spent the next half an hour on those stairs, either vomiting or trying to find the strength to get up. Eventually, as the smell began to grow, I somehow pulled myself off of the stairs and stumbled a few feet away. The living room was the closest room, and if I remembered correctly, there was a garbage pail in there. It took longer than I would have liked, but I managed to get there without vomiting again, though I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. I threw myself onto the couch, grabbing the garbage pail and bringing it closer. I hugged one of the pillows to myself as I closed my eyes and moaned in pain. I hated being sick. I rarely ever was, but when I did get sick those few times, I always got hit badly. This time seemed to be no exception. I barely had anything in my stomach and I continued to have to vomit. It didn't make any sense, nor did it make sense how I got sick. I was perfectly healthy last night. Angry, yes, but completely healthy. I didn't feel this coming on at all, and usually I could. This was just so sudden that it was a mystery to me.

Unless...

No, that thought wasn't even going to cross my mind. Being sick was not because of anything supernatural. I was just sick, that was it. I just had to deal with it.

Somehow.

* * *

I was in and out of sleep the entire day. I would drift off for an hour or two, and then wake up and violently vomit into the garbage pail. It was beginning to stick up the room, but I barely even noticed. I was getting warmer by the hour, feeling as if I were on fire. It was the most unpleasant feeling in the world, worst than dealing with the Louisiana heat. I was sweating buckets, and tried desperately to get off of the couch to get to the second floor for a nice cold shower or bath. But I just couldn't move. It felt like there were weights on my body, holding me down. My stomach just wouldn't stop emptying, worrying me to no end. Not that I had any time to even think about worrying.

When I wasn't vomiting, I was having odd dreams. Odd really wasn't the word for it, maybe terrifying was a better choice to describe them. In every single one of them, that Australian vampire was there. Sometimes he was the one doing the biting, tearing at my flesh with his fangs, draining me of my blood. But there were a few that only had him standing back and watching as someone else sank their fangs into me. And to my horror, that other person usually was Eric.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

I didn't even know it was past sunset until I heard that voice. I shuddered as I opened my eyes, waking up from another dream. A dream that just happened to feature Eric sinking his teeth into my neck, hungrily sucking at my blood. I almost wondered if this was just another dream or not. He did look mighty angry as he stood beside the couch, hovering over me. I just groaned in response, not able to speak in fear of vomiting instead. I had my arms wrapped around my stomach as it ached painfully. Part of me just wanted one of those dreams to be real and I did just die. Feeling like this was horrible. It wasn't even the vomiting or the stomach ache. No, it was the heat. It felt like I was in the pits of hell. It was horrible. I just wanted relief from it.

"I wake up to find the house smelling and vomit on the stairs." Eric crossed his arms as his eyes narrowed.

I responded with another groan before I turned onto my side, facing Eric, and vomited. If I had been more alert, I probably would have been embarrassed and extremely scared to know that I jus vomited all over Eric's shoes. But I was completely out of it; I barely even knew what was going on.

"You will clean this up." He wrapped his hand around my arm roughly, and in one swift movement, yanked me off of the couch and to my feet.

I moaned and swayed on my feet, my head feeling like a hundred pounds. Eric's grip loosened and I was on the ground in an instant, not able to hold myself up. I curled right back up into a small ball, ignoring Eric's curses. I heard him kicking off his shoes before his hand was back around my arm.

"Stop." I managed to mumble out. I didn't want to be moved. I just wanted to stay in one position, and pray for it to be over. The heat was getting worse and all I wanted was for it to stop. Now.

"You're getting on my last nerve." He tugged me back up to my feet. As I swayed again, he began to take notice of my appearance. "You're pale."

I paid no attention to him as my vision began blurring. I closed my eyes as I felt myself falling to one side. I surely would have fallen back onto the floor if Eric hadn't of wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I'm not equipped to deal with a sick human." He grumbled, lifting a hand to my forehead.

I moaned, but in relief as the coolness of his hand cooled me, even for just half a second.

"What's wrong, Ellie?" he questioned, sliding his hand down to cup my cheek.

"Hot...so hot..."

"Godric should be dealing with this." I heard Eric grunt before I felt myself being lifted up.

I was drifting back unconscious as my head fell onto his shoulder, hoping the coolness of his arms would give me the relief I was seeking.

* * *

**A/N:** as promised, a new chapter! Ellie kicked some ass at the beginning before falling mysteriously ill. I will say that there is much more to the illness than what might meet the eye...oh and the same goes for that australian vampire. and don't ask why he's australian...i just like their accents and always drool over them haha. so I'm moved into my apartment, just have a lot of unpacking and cleaning to do before school starts late next week. but of course, i'll procrastinate and write this instead of doing that lol.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

The night was still as Godric stepped up onto the porch of the house he had called home for the past few months. He spoke fluently in Spanish as he spoke with Isabel, a frown settled on his face as he learned the knowledge he had been searching for. He stopped just before the front door, his face contorted in anger, almost snapping the cell phone in half. Spitting out a goodbye, he tossed the phone to the ground, the small device breaking into multiple pieces. Godric ran a hand down his angered face, breathing heavily to try and control his emotions.

He hadn't lost control in centuries, and suddenly Ellie slipped into his life and he cannot help how he felt. He wanted to protect her at any cost, even if it caused him his life. He had never felt such a close bond with another being before in the world besides Eric. But his connection with Ellie was much different, deeper in a much different and unique way. He felt like he couldn't control his anger, his sadness, his happiness, whenever she was around. If she was hurt, he wanted nothing more than to rip apart the cause of her pain. When she smiled, all he wanted to do was smile along with her. Any time those tears cascaded down her porcelain cheeks, all he wished to do was brush away the tears. He couldn't understand the emotions he felt whenever Ellie was around, but they were stronger than anything he was used to.

Godric laid a hand on the door handle, freezing immediately as he did so. He felt a wave of pain and agony hit him, as if he was being punched in the gut. He didn't waste a moment before tearing open the door and racing through the hallways until he found the woman he could feel in pain. He stopped dead in the doorway to Eric's resting place, his eyes wide as he saw the scene before him. Ellie was on her side, lying on the bed, as she coughed and vomited blood all over the hardwood floors. Eric stood at the end of the bed, pacing as he cursed in his native language.

"Where have you been!" Eric spun around at the sound of his maker. There was a mixture of rage and worry in his ice blue eyes. Each eye had a ring of red around it, showing the emotions he was fighting with himself to control.

"I was speaking with Isabel and went for a walk." Godric walked further into the room. "What happened?"

"I can't deal with sick humans, Godric." Eric clenched his hands. "I can barely deal with healthy humans."

"Eric, I have no patience for your disrespect for Elizabeth." Godric shot his child a glare as he strode next to Ellie and began rubbing her back as she moaned in pain.

"She should be taken to a hospital." Eric spat. "And then taken elsewhere. I'm tired of dealing with her."

"Enough!" Godric snapped, his fangs popping out. "I don't understand your sudden hate for the girl when I can see that you clearly care deeply for her."

"I don't care for her." Eric gritted his teeth.

"You did in Dallas. What changed?" Godric challenged.

"She was dying. She saved you. I wasn't myself. That's all." Eric defended.

"I know you better than that my child. I know you better than you know yourself. Spare me the lies, Eric." Godric shook his head and turned his attention on the girl before him. He laid a hand on her forehead as she moved back into a lying position, her eyes squeezed shut. "She's burning up."

"Great. Deal with it." Eric grabbed his leather jacket from a chair. "I can't deal with this. Have her out of my room before I return."

Godric barely heard his child stomp from the room as he kept his attention solely on Ellie. Her pain, her agony swept through him as if it were his own. It nearly knocked him off his feet. He caressed her cheek with one hand, cupping it after a moment. She moaned and moved into his cool touch. Her body was tense, and he could see the blotching red spots all over her arms and neck. She was burning up, her temperature rising quicker than he had ever witnessed before in his long life. He had only seen such a thing once before, but that had been a very long time ago. There was no possible way that either times was connected. It was absolutely impossible.

"Unless..." Godric muttered to himself, his other hand wiping the sweat off of her forehead. "No. It's impossible." He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed to be focus to help Ellie, he had to stay in the moment and not let himself stray off into his thoughts.

"Godric..." She moaned out.

"I'm right here, Elizabeth." He assured her, racking his brain for anything that could help the pained girl. It had been many centuries, millenniums even, that he had aided a human illness. He couldn't recall how to go about it, especially with modern medicine. He contemplated taking her to a hospital, like his child had suggested. But he knew that he couldn't. They wouldn't allow him anywhere near the hospital, due to what he was, and he refused to leave her unattended for such a long period of time. He needed to protect her from the strange vampire that was much more than he appeared. He could simply call a doctor to come to them, but Godric disliked that idea just as much. He wasn't sure why she was suddenly so sick. It could have been because of the vampire, or her own mysterious powers that were making such a thing happen. But there was too much at stake to take a chance.

"I don't know what to do, Elizabeth." He admitted, grasping her clammy hand.

"So hot..." she moaned once again.

"I know Elizabeth. I'll think of something, I..." Godric paused for a moment, an idea coming to mind. "Do you trust me, Elizabeth?"

She could do nothing but nod. Godric laid a soft kiss on her forehead before slipping his arms around her quickly and lifting her up.

"I have an idea."

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Godric sat on the edge of the tub half an hour later, running a finger through the iced water.

"B-better." She gazed up at him, keeping her knees firmly pressed against her chest as she sat naked in the bath tub that was filled to the brim with iced water. "T-thank you."

"Anything for you, Elizabeth." He leaned over and kissed her on the top of her wet hair.

"Where did you get the...get the ice." She squirmed in the tub, letting out a sigh as the cold ice cooled her burning body.

"I made a phone call to Pam. She graciously brought some over from the club." He answered, laying a hand on her forehead. "I can barely feel your temperature at all. I shouldn't be able to feel it in the first place. I was scared when I felt how hot you were."

"It...It was so horrible Godric." There were pools of tears in her green eyes. "It hurt so much. It still does."

Godric frowned. "Perhaps if I give you my blood."

She shook her head, wincing as pain ran up her spine. "I doubt it'll work."

He sighed, his head bowing. "I can feel the pain that you feel. I have never felt anything so strong before in my life. I wish for nothing more than to take away that pain, Elizabeth."

"I wish you could take it away too." A tear slipped down her cheek. "Why is this happening to me?"

"I don't know, Elizabeth. But I will find out. I will take away your pain." He vowed, grasping her hand in his, running his thumb across the top of her small hand in soothing circles. "I will do whatever it takes to protect you, even if that does mean angering you."

She looked away as she wiped the tear away with her other hand. "I just want to feel normal, just for once Godric."

"I know, Elizabeth. But you must understand, I cannot leave you alone. This vampire is not someone to take lightly."

"Do you know more about him?" her head snapped towards him.

"Isabel was a great help." He nodded. "But another time, Elizabeth. We need to focus on getting you better."

"It feels like...like my entire body is on fire." She shuddered.

"Is the bath not helping? I can't feel the heat rising from your body any longer." A look of concern crossed his face.

"For a bit. But then...but then it hurts again. Everything feels like its burning." Her bottom lip trembled. "Make it stop Godric. Please make it stop."

He cupped her cheek, not knowing what else to do. It brought bloody tears to his eyes to not only see, but to feel the pain that she was in. He wanted to take the pain away for her, he truly did. But there was no possible way to do so. This was some unknown pain that he never imagined would occur. He was supposed to be able to protect her; it had been his lone mission. But he had failed. He had angered and hurt her last night, and he had no way of helping her tonight. He felt useless, a feeling he wasn't used to, nor did he like. He wanted to do something, to hit someone, to do anything at all that would help this girl feel relief from the pain.

Godric sighed as he eyed her carefully, taking in the goose bumps on her arms. Her body was becoming cold, but for some reason, that wasn't reaching her brain. To her, everything felt on fire. But to him, and to the appearance of her body, she looked incredibly cold. Too cold.

"I think we've done all that we can with you in the bath." Godric stood. "We need to get you out before you damage anything."

"No!" Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. "It does help...kind of. Please, it's the only relief that I have. Please Godric."

"You're body is cooled down, Elizabeth." He lifted up one of her arms to show her the goose bumps. "Which means that this is all in your head."

"I'm not crazy, Godric." She took it the wrong way. "I'm not crazy! "

"I know you aren't, sweetheart. But you feel one way and how your body is actually working is completely different. If you stay in this bath, your organs are going to start to shut down. You're not meant to be in iced water for such a long period of time." Godric began to grow concerned. "Come on, Elizabeth, time to get out."

"No." She shook her head wildly. "Please don't make me Godric. It feels nice. Please. You promised you'd make it stop. This helps."

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. But I won't allow you to become worse because of this." He regretted knowing that he would have to force her out of the tub that gave her her only relief. "I am truly sorry."

"No. Please no." She begged as he dipped his arms into the water to wrap around her small frame. "No. Godric. I said NO!"

In one quick moment Godric was sent flying across the room, hitting into the farthest wall from the tub. His back hit into the wall with so much force that the house shook and creaked dangerously. He groaned at the initial impact, though he hardly felt any pain. He was just taken off guard by the sudden power shown by Ellie. Her power was growing, especially when she had strong emotions, like anger. What he wasn't expecting however, were the objects in the room that were not secured to the floor or walls, beginning to rise. His eyes widened when he stared into the eyes of the pained girl, her eyes flashing a fiery red for the quickest of seconds before every single object was turned and began plummeting towards him. If it wasn't for his quick speed, he would have been under a heap of a pile, one that included a few select silver items.

"Elizabeth." He was back beside the tub in a flash, lifting her up into his arms before she had a moment to understand what was happening.

"No. No please let me stay!" She pleaded, sobbing into his chest as he walked her out of the bathroom and into the hallway. "Please! It hurts so much!"

"I'm sorry, child." He whispered to her, his heart breaking. "I am deeply sorry."

She cried the entire way to his resting place. He opened the door from the hallway, revealing a second door, one made out of a thick metal. Keying in the password on the keypad on the door, he pushed it open with ease and walked into the room. After locking the door behind him, he laid the sobbing girl in the middle of his bed, watching as she curled up into a small ball. He sighed, running a hand through his short hair. He wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how to do so. He had never hesitated to pull her into his arms in the past, but for some reason this was different. She was naked, and while he had seen her in such a way before, he didn't want to take advantage of such a fact. He didn't want to feel her skin on his, the way that she made him feel alive. Instead, he walked over to his closet and pulled out a t-shirt. He walked back over to Ellie and managed to slip it on her small form without her even noticing. Once she was clothed, he didn't waste a moment before pulling her close to him, cradling her body in his arms. She sat in his lap, her hands clutching at his own shirt as she sobbed against him. He kept his arms securely wrapped around her, whispering words of comfort in her ear.

* * *

It was long after Ellie cried herself asleep when there was a knock sounding on the front door. Godric frowned as he listened closely, trying to listen for an intruder. Hearing nothing but a few more innocent knocks, he sighed and set Ellie down on the bed and out of his arms. He laid a sweet kiss on her cheek before leaving the room to investigate. He was before the front door in only a second, unlocking the many locks on the door before pulling it open. He opened his mouth to greet whoever was on the other side, but never got the chance to speak as a bullet was lodged into his chest. His eyes grew wide as the silver bullet penetrated through the skin, the muscle, being keeping itself within the bones of his chest. There was blood seeping from the wound as another bullet was shot into his chest.

Godric's mouth was opened in shock and agony as he stared at the Australian vampire who held up a gun pointed straight at Godric's body. With a cruel smirk, round after round was shot into Godric's body in multiple places. Godric staggered and fell to his knees, struggling not to scream out in pain. The silver was burning his body from the inside as the bullets stayed lodged in his body.

"You know what I am." The Australian knelt down to Godric's level as the blood poured out of his wounds. "And you know that you can't keep her safe forever. We want her, and we will have her."

Another bullet was shot directly as Godric's skull before the vampire disappeared from view, the sound of tires on the gravel driveway sending him away quickly. Godric's eyes rolled in the back of his head as he crashed the rest of the way to the ground. At his age, he would heal quickly, or would normally if he had been drinking blood more frequently. But he felt no desire to consume blood any longer. Weeks would pass before he would take a single sip or two of a bottle of true blood before tossing it away. His body wasn't able to heal as quickly as it should have, causing him a tremendous amount of pain.

"Godric!" Eric shouted, rushing over to his maker as he lay on the ground, blood pooling around him. "What the hell happened?"

Godric couldn't answer however, his functions slowly shutting down. Eric cursed as entered the house, locking the door tightly before lifting his maker up into is arms. He hurried up the stairs and to Godric's resting place, barely noticing the room was already occupied.

"Oh my god!" Ellie stood in the middle of the room, her hand covering her gaping mouth. "Oh my god!"

The gun shots had waked her up, alerting her to danger. But she had been frozen to the spot when she had heard the Australian accent. She couldn't do a damn thing until wait until he was gone. Not that she was sure what she could do. She was in her own pain. It took every last muster of strength in her to get herself up into a standing position. Her body was tense with pain, but she pushed it into the back of her mind as she concentrated on the bleeding Godric.

"When was the last time he fed?" Eric questioned as he laid Godric on the bed.

"I...I..." She stumbled over her words.

"Answer me!" Eric demanded.

"I don't know!" there were tears spilling down her cheeks. "I don't know. Days maybe? Weeks? Is he going to be okay?"

"He needs blood." Eric cursed to himself in his native tongue. "Damnit Godric, if only you've been feeding more."

"I...I'll go get true blood." Ellie began towards the door.

"No!" he stopped her, his voice booming as he gave her the darkest look. He had her by the arm in a flash, yanking her over to the bed. "You're going to give him your blood."

"What? No." She struggled. "I can't."

"Yes you can." He growled. "He's given you everything. He's protected you and kept you alive. You're going to return the favour."

"But...it hurts. Everything already hurts." Her bottom lip trembled as he pushed her down onto the bed beside Godric. "Please, Eric, I can't."

"You will. Or else I'm going to rip your throat out." His fangs popped out. "You're going to repay Godric for everything he's done for you. NOW!"

She jumped, her body shaking from head to toe. He grabbed a chunk of her hair, pulling her head to the side to reveal her neck. She whimpered and pleaded with him not to do it, but he ignored her as he sunk his fangs into her neck to begin the blood flow. He sucked at her neck, allowing himself a moment to enjoy her sweet blood before pulling himself back with self control. She was crying now, but he could have cared less as he pushed her bleeding neck towards his fading maker. However, Godric was too out of it to even open his mouth to welcome the blood being offered to him. Eric cursed again as he pried open Godric's jaw, lifting up the back of his head so that his mouth was meeting with Ellie's neck. It only took a handful of drops of blood before Godric's instincts and true nature began kicking in. His fangs clicked out, sinking into the wounds that had already been created. Ellie screamed loudly at the pain, trying to squirm away but found no escape.

Godric slowly began healing himself with the new blood in his system. One by one the bullets began popping out of his body, the wounds healing themselves. Eric sighed in relief as Godric now sat up on his own, hungrily drinking from Ellie's neck. Eric had to control himself from biting into the other side of her neck to have another taste of her blood. He licked his fangs cleans, as well as his lips, wanting every last drop of her blood. He wasn't the only one, Godric diving his fangs deeper and deeper into her neck, until Ellie's body began slumping forward.

"Godric." Eric laid a hand on Godric's shoulder, lightly pushing him back. "Godric, that's enough. Ellie..."

The name of the now unconscious girl alone was enough to break Godric out of his trance. He pushed Ellie's slumped over body away from him, and in a flash was across the room with a look of pure horror, mixed with pure shock, on his face.

"Godric, how do you...what's wrong Godric?" Eric stepped forward, concerned at the look Godric had on his face.

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible." Godric spoke softly, his eyes as wide as saucers as he just stared at Ellie's form. "It can't be."

"What, Godric?" Eric raised an eyebrow, trying to understand what was wrong with his maker.

Godric shook his head, clearing his thoughts before he realized what had just happened. "No. Ellie..."

He was on the bed quickly, searching for a pulse from the girl and sighed when he felt one. He brushed away the hair, caressing her cheek before his tongue flicked out to lick clean the wound on her neck. Godric shuddered as he did so, the taste of her blood causing his body to shake in a way that he couldn't even describe. He had only tasted blood this sweet, this intoxicating, this delicious, once before in his life, and that had been from the only other woman he had cared for, many centuries before Eric was even created. But it was impossible. It couldn't be true.

"Godric? What is it?" Eric questioned as Godric sat on the bed in contemplation, his tongue sliding over his lips every so often.

"It's absolutely impossible." Godric shook his head. "But...but it would make complete sense."

"What would make complete sense?"

Godric sighed as he stared up at his child. "I know what Elizabeth is."

"What?"

"Have I ever told you the myths about phoenixes?"

* * *

**A/N:** dun dun dunnnnnn! yes, we're starting to find out what she is! the next coming chapters will explain a lot of course, but this will give you a little hint in the right direction. I've been working on this chapter for forever it feels like, writing it over and over again to get it like I wanted it to. apparently not being able to sleep because of creepy dreams is exactly what I needed.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

_The sound of crashing waves was soothing as I sat back on the soft blanket of sand. The sun was blazing down at me, and I was sure I would get a burn. But that seemed farthest from my thoughts as I closed my eyes, shifting until I became comfortable. I couldn't remember the last time I had been to a beach. My brother had taken me once, when I was a little girl, but I could hardly remember the details. I felt utterly relaxed, the feel of the sun, the sound of the ocean nearly lulling me to sleep._

"_I haven't seen you look so peaceful before."_

_I smiled at the familiar soft voice. I peeked an eye open and my smile grew when I saw Godric leaning over me, his blue green boring down into mine._

"_You're not burning." I voiced, suddenly remembering we were outside in the middle of the day._

"_Of course not." His hand raised up to caress my cheek. "You're absolutely beautiful, Elizabeth."_

"_And your just as breathtaking, Godric." I moved up onto my elbows, my face only inches from his. "Why aren't you burning? This feels so real."_

"_You're dreaming." He stated as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "You subconscious would never wish to see me harmed."_

"_No part of me wants to see you hurt." I corrected. "I thought you were dead when Eric brought you back into the room bleeding. It was that vampire, wasn't it?"_

"_Yes, yes it was." Godric nodded with a slight frown. "But let's not speak of him."_

"_I'm tired of being scared for my life, Godric." My voice was soft as my gaze fell to the sand we were lying on. "First the fellowship, and now this? I don't want to be scared anymore."_

"_I will never let them take you." He promised, his hand moving down my cheek, sliding down to the crevice of my neck. I winced slightly as he pressed against the wounds I never knew were there. "I apologize for hurting you. I couldn't control myself."_

"_It's Eric's fault." I shrugged._

"_Willing or not willing, I never wish to ever bite you again. Knowing that I'm hurting you when I'm merely trying to protect you, it kills me Elizabeth. You are the sole reason I am continuing to live." His thumb rubbed small circles around the wounds until they no longer ached._

"_Sometimes I wish you just let me die." I admitted, not able to look up at him. _

"_Why would you say such a thing?" There was hurt in his voice._

"_Because...What's there to live for?" there were tears in my eyes. "I don't have a family, Godric. My parents died, my brother died. I have no one. I just have these powers that have done me nothing but make everything worse."_

"_You have Eric and me."_

"_Eric...he hardly even knows I exist. We had a moment in Dallas, but that's it." I bit down hard on my bottom lip, willing back the tears before they could escape. "He doesn't care. He'd rather if I was just dead."_

"_That's not true." Godric shook his head, clasping a finger under my chin and forcing me to look up at him. "He cares. When he thought you were going to die, I could see the love that he bares for you. He loves you, Elizabeth. I believe it's my fault that he doesn't know how to show it. I taught him how to be a ruthless savage, not how to care for others but himself."_

_A tear slipped down my cheek, but before I could brush it away, Godric got to it first. His tongue flicked out, licking it right off of my cheek. He laid a soft kiss in its place, his eyes shining as he stared down at me. "I care more about you than I have ever cared about another soul. You are a powerful and beautiful girl. Never forget that, Elizabeth. I could not bear to see you embark from this world. I would be...as you humans say...heartbroken."_

"_You don't even have a heart." I muttered, though I knew that wasn't true._

"_You've given me a reason to believe that I do." Godric's face lowered. "Never forget that I'm here for you. I will always be here for you. No matter what may come to be in the future, you will always be in my heart, beating or not."_

"_Godric..."_

_I was silenced however, by a surprising set of cool lips pressing against mine. It felt like there were fireworks going off around us, between us even. I nearly jumped at the shock that I felt the moment his lips met mine, and every time he would press harder against me. I couldn't stop myself from moaning as my hands roamed up to his neck, pulling him closer. One hand was on my cheek while the other was on my back, lowering me back down onto the cool sand. The hand on my back moved down to my side, caressing my bare skin. It was just now that I realized we both had been naked the entire time. But I could have cared less. I had never felt like this before in the world, like I was floating in the air, flying even. With Eric, it had felt completely different. I wasn't sure if it was better than the times I had the pleasure of kissing Eric, but it was certainly different._

_And I liked different._

"_Godric..." I moaned out his name as we broke apart for air, or really, so I could breathe._

_Godric took that opportunity to move his lips down my jaw line and to my neck. I threw my head back as his cool lips gently began sucking on the base of my neck, sending wild sensations through my body as his hands roamed all over me. My own hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they ran over his toned and muscled body. The electric shocks were there with every touch, with every kiss, heightening every feeling that was running through me. I could tell it was having the same effect on Godric as he shuddered the moment my fingers danced over his back. I felt his fangs pop out, grazing over the skin of my neck, but not once penetrating. He nipped at my earlobe and I moaned once again._

"_I have always loved you, Elizabeth. I will always love you. I will always be here for you." His voice vibrated against my neck as he kissing right below my ear before kissing his way down my body. _

_My eyes were closed as he travelled lower and lower, past my waist, past my hips, and parting my legs. I was in complete pleasure as his flicked his tongue out, causing me to moan the loudest I've ever moaned in my life._

"_Oh Godric!"_

"Oh Godric huh?"

I was snapped out of my dream just like that. I was sweating from head to toe, not to mention I could even smell the arousal that sat between my legs. My face was a bright red as I sat up startled, looking around the room in a hurry. I was mortified to find Godric standing at the end of the bed, his head bowed, unable to look at me. Who was able to look at me however, was Eric. I glared at the smug look on his face as he stared down at me from beside the bed. Though if I really looked at the blonde vampire, I could see that the smirk didn't reach his eyes. Oh no, those ice cold eyes were furious. Which I couldn't understand at all. It was clear both he and Godric knew exactly what I was dreaming. Apparently a bit too well considering I must have talked in my sleep. But even if I did have a dream of that nature about Godric, Eric had no right to be angry. He had made it perfectly clear that he had no feelings for me. He barely could take being in the same room as me. Maybe he should have shown an interest when it counted.

"Have a good dream, Ellie?" Eric leaned down, his face hovering only inches over mine.

"Fuck off." I spat. "And fuck you for what you did."

"Oh I don't believe I was the one who was doing anything of the 'fucking' nature." His breath tickled my ear as he spoke lowly. "I believe that was..."

"Eric, enough." Godric snapped his head up, his eyes glowering at Eric.

Eric snickered though when he met my eyes, I saw the slightest amount of pain that lay beneath them. I didn't let myself be fooled however, and quickly looked away. My hand travelled up to my neck, and I was surprised to find that not only did it not ache, but the wounds were no longer there.

"I gave you my blood once I was healed." Godric explained.

That certainly made a lot of sense at least. Though the smallest part of me didn't care for the reason behind why I had such a dream about Godric. Never had I had one that felt so intimate, so amazing as that one did. I didn't know what to think of it at all. I mean it was just because of the blood, right? But then again, I had never had a dream exactly like that about Eric. Was that just a coincidence, or did it mean something more?

"I must go attend to other business." Eric turned his attention off of me, straightening as he began out of the room.

Godric sighed as he followed him out with his eyes, before bowing his head once again. I chewed on my bottom lip, embarrassed by everything that had happened. It probably didn't help at all that I was lying in his bed in only one of his shirts and nothing else. I toyed with the bed sheets, thinking of something to say.

"So...um..." When had it become this hard to talk to Godric of all people? "Er, about being angry with you..."

"Say no more." Godric held up a hand to stop me. "You have no reason to apologize. I overreacted, I know that. I apologize for acting as I did, though I won't apologize for the reason behind it."

He still wouldn't look at me, I noted. I sighed and kept my eyes on him, hoping he would eventually gaze up at me.

"I had no right to be upset at you for just caring." I shrugged. "I never want you to stop caring Godric. You're the only one who seems to care at all. After my brother died...I really didn't know what the point of anything was anymore. But then you came along, you saved my life, and now...well you just mean a lot to me Godric."

"You mean a great lot to me as well, Elizabeth."

"If that's true, then why can't you look at me?" I asked softly. "Is it because of the dream that I had...because I'm sorry, I..."

Godric's head suddenly snapped up, his eyes boring into mine. "I have no right to hold any ill feelings towards you for what you dream. It would be hypocritical of me to do so."

I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but I let out a loud sigh of relief. "So then why can you barely look at me? Did I do something wrong?"

Godric was beside me in a flash, gently sitting on the edge of the bed beside me. He took my hands in his, caressing the top of each hand with his thumbs. We held each other's gazes as we just sat there for the longest time. I opened my mouth to speak, but he beat me to the punch.

"I'm ashamed of myself for what I did." He confessed.

"What you did?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"For hurting you." He replied sadly. "For biting you."

"I told you, that was all Eric's fault for..." I stopped myself before I could go any further, my face growing red.

"We had a conversation over this in your dream?" Godric sounded surprised.

"Um, yeah I guess." I looked down at my lap.

"What else did we speak about?"

"Nothing really." I muttered.

"Elizabeth?" One of his hands cupped my cheek, moving my gaze back up to his. "What is it?"

I sighed and began tearing up. "I shouldn't have dreamt what I did."

"Elizabeth, you know you have no..."

"No control over it, I know. But I wish I did!" I pushed his hands away, scrambling out of the bed and began pacing the length of the floor. I barely even paid any attention to the fact that I felt completely healthy. When in the world did that happen? "I shouldn't be dreaming of things like that!"

"It's perfectly normal to..."

"No, it's not perfectly normal to be having sexual dreams that I actually enjoy and find pleasurable about my closest friend!" I threw my hands up, my heart racing as my breathing matched its speed. "You're supposed to be like my brother. It's...it's wrong to like having those dreams. I don't want to...but...but I do! I hate myself Godric!"

Godric sat there completely still as I sank down to my knees, the tears spilling out of my eyes. It wasn't even a moment later before I felt his comforting arms around me, pulling me against him. I cried into his chest, letting out the emotions that had built up in the last few days. I just needed to let it all out, and right now seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"Never be ashamed for who you are or what you may feel." He whispered in my ear. "You have no reason to be ashamed for anything that you feel. You are an incredible woman, both with power and beauty. Never forget that."

At hearing his words, sounding almost identical to what he had spoken in that dream, something snapped within me. My brain seemed detached from my body as I grabbed his face within my hands and pressed my lips against his without a second thought.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

My brain returned seconds later and I scrambled out of Godric's arms. My eyes were round and wide, shocked at what I had just done. Godric seemed in a trance as he just sat there, his fingers touching his lips. We sat there, no one uttering a word as the last few minutes sunk in. I had just crossed the line, the line that I had just ranted about being crossed in my dreams. And then I just go and kiss him! What was wrong with me? I was mental. I had to of been hit in the head too many times. Maybe I could still plead being delusional from being sick. There had to be some good excuse as to why I had done what I just did.

"Oh god oh god oh god." I cried out, quickly jumping to my feet. "Oh god oh god oh god."

I was hyperventilating by this point, growing light headed at the lack of oxygen. I found myself sitting back on the bed, my face covered by my hands in mortification. What had I done? I just kissed Godric! The one person who made me feel safe, who made me feel at all! He was the only reason I was still alive right now, saving me from not only all of the psychos out there bent on killing me, but also from my own depression. Everything was because of him and with one stupid stupid lack of thought, I just about ruined that.

God what the hell was wrong with me!

"Elizabeth." Godric finally snapped himself out of his trance, now kneeling in front of me. His hands were on mine, trying to pull them away from my face. I made a moan, but couldn't fight against his strength. I closed my eyes tightly, never wanting to look Godric in the eye again. I couldn't. I was just too embarrassed to possibly even think that any amount of words or apologies could fix this.

"Elizabeth, look at me." his hands cupped my cheeks.

"Oh god oh god oh god." I kept repeating.

"Look at me." his voice was sharp this time, one hand lightly slapping me on the cheek. "Elizabeth, I will not ask you again. Look at me."

But I couldn't. I just couldn't. How could I have done that? I was incredibly messed up. I needed professional help, I...

My shoulders were grabbed roughly, and before I could even finish my thought, my back was flat against the bed, Godric hovering over me with his fangs clicked out. My eyes popped right open and I was staring at him in shock at the sudden move. His hands were clutched against my shoulders tightly, his fingers pressing into the skin and forming bruises I was sure. I had never seen that look in his eyes before. He looked like a man possessed for a brief second before his expression softened. Though his hands didn't move an inch, still digging into my shoulders as he kept me in place.

"You need to calm down." His voice was steady and firm.

How the hell was I supposed to calm down? Did he not understand what just happened? I kissed him. I friggin kissed him! Why was I the only one freaking out?

"I said calm down." He growled in a way I had never heard from him before.

My heart just raced faster however, my hyperventilating returning. I could barely breathe as my eyes watered. I didn't know the meaning of calm at the moment. I could see his anger and annoyance growing, but I didn't know how to stop. I couldn't stop. I was having a complete mental break down and there was nothing that could possible stop it.

That is of course, until he did the one thing I thought he would never do again.

Before I had a moment to brace myself, Godric was sinking his fangs into the base of my neck. I tried to scream, but it was muffled by Godric's hand stopping me. I silently cried as he sucked at my neck, not too hard, but with just enough force to make sure I knew that I needed to be quiet.

"I didn't wish to ever do this again." He removed his fangs from my neck, though they hovered barely an inch above the now seeping wounds. "But I couldn't help myself. You infuriate me in so many ways."

He moved his hand off of my mouth, but I didn't speak. My cheeks were littered with tears, which caused Godric to sigh and nicked his thumb before pressing it to my neck. I whimpered as he rubbed his blood into the wounds, healing them almost instantly. He didn't move away from me however, both hands back onto my shoulders once again. I should have been scared of him, like I usually was of Eric after he lost his temper. But I wasn't. I wasn't scared of Godric. I couldn't be. It just didn't logically make sense to fear him, even if he had just bitten me out of anger. There was something about him, even now, that comforted me and made me feel safe.

Yeah there was most definitely something wrong with me.

"Some days all I want to do is lock you up so you cannot get yourself in trouble." He admitted, his head tilting to the side as he stared down at me. I sniffed to try and rid the tears, but I couldn't, they just continued to flow. One of his hands lifted and began brushing them away, ridding my cheeks of the wet tears. "I would just keep you in my arms for all of eternity. I would never let you go. You have no idea how much I wish to be able to do so."

I didn't know what to say or do, not that I could do much of anything in the position I was in. It was just then that I realized Godric was positioned between my legs, which were still draped over the end of the bed. He was pressing into me, and I was more than sure that I could feel...

Oh this wasn't good!

"I-I'm s-sorry." I stuttered as best as I could.

Godric sighed heavily as his hand cupped my cheek, lowering his lips down onto my other cheek. I shuddered as he laid a gentle kiss on my cheek, the coolness of his lips sending shivers down my spine. It felt much more erotic than a simple kiss to the cheek should have felt.

"Are you calm now?" He removed his lips from my cheek, though he was much closer than he probably should have been.

"Y-you must think I'm a nutcase." My cheeks were burning. It was the only I could say without embarrassing myself further.

Godric chuckled, which sounded like the sweetest melody to my ears. Seriously, what in the world was wrong with me? Since when did I start feeling this way about Godric?

"You are a very lovely nutcase." A small smile tugged at his lips. "I wish I could tell you that I regret you having such dreams about me. I wish I could tell you that I despised you for kissing me. But I promised you a long time ago that I would never lie to you, and I don't wish to break that promise now."

I gulped; what the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Godric?'

"You were so sweet and innocent the first time I met you." He was caressing my cheek, my jaw line, his thumb moving slowly over my lips every so often. I felt frozen to the bed. I wasn't even sure if I was breathing or not, I was so still. "I knew the moment I licked your wounds clean that you were more than just a human. I never knew until now just how special you were however."

My eyes grew wide. "You know what I am?"

"I do." He face was lowering closer to mine. "But now is not the time, Elizabeth."

"But Godric..."

I never had a chance to finish before his lips were crashing down onto mine. There was nothing, and yet everything going through my mind. I didn't even wait a split second before responding. With nothing holding my shoulders down, my arms were free to move. One hand was on the back of his neck, pressing him down harder while the other was on his chest, taking in the muscles I had never realized he had. I moaned as his tongue brushed across my bottom lip, seductively asking for permission. He didn't wait however, as he pushed his tongue through my lips the moment I moaned. I had never wanted anyone more than I wanted Godric right now. I didn't care at all who this was, or our previous relationship. All I cared about was the now.

And the now was certainly rather blissful.

I felt Godric lift me up, lying me further up on the bed before placing himself completely between my legs. As if on instincts, my one leg wrapped around his waist, my hips grinding up to meet his. Godric growled as his lips pressed harder against mine, our tongues dancing together. My shirt was riding up, and if Godric pulled away at all, he would have seen my lower half in all its glory. But he didn't pull away. In fact, I even managed to roll him onto his back. I could feel his arousal straining in his pants, and I almost unzipped his jeans right then and there. My long hair cascaded to one side like a waterfall as I parted my lips from his, leaving a trail of kissing down to his neck. Godric moaned deeply as I teased his neck with my tongue. I smirked, liking that for once I had some sort of control over a vampire. It felt empowering.

That didn't last very long however, as we flipped once again so I was on my back. His lips crashed back down onto mine as his hand travelled down to the bottom of the shirt, pushing it up to have access. It felt like fireworks were going off in my body the moment his fingers touched me in the most intimate way. My hands were on his back, my fingers digging into him as his fingers rocked into me so suddenly. I moaned loudly as Godric not only deepened the kiss, but his fingers. I felt on cloud nine as he began a rhythm I didn't even think was possible.

"Godric...oh god!" I moaned out, my mind solely on the pleasure that was shooting through my body.

His fingers were moving in such a fast pace that I barely even knew what was happening. Godric moved his lips from mine, only to lock onto one of my nipples and began sucking gently. I could feel myself at the edge, about to jump off into the most pleasurable orgasm I've ever had.

"Am I interrupting anything? "

Godric's fingers froze deep inside of me just as I was about to climax. I growled in frustration as I tried to rock my hips down against his fingers, diving them deeper into me. Godric's mood seemed to diminish quicker than mine, as he was completely off of me in only a matter of seconds. I groaned as I lay there, sweat dripping off my body as my body ached to feel that pleasure I was so close to achieving.

"Well this is an interesting turn of events." Eric bitterly stated.

I could feel his eyes burning into me, but I blocked him out as I breathed heavily, my eyes closed as I tried to bring myself down from the cloud I had been floating on. I was sexually frustrated, and personally would have liked to just stake Eric right at that moment. Could he pick a worse time to just barge into Godric's room when he was supposed to be elsewhere?

"Eric, what is it that you want?" Godric asked thickly, the annoyance clear in his tone.

"I felt her pain and wanted to make sure she was alright."

"Well as you can see, she's perfectly fine."

"I can see that perfectly." Eric's voice sounded strained, almost like it pained him to say it.

I opened my eyes, pushing the shirt down over my body and looked over at the blonde vampire. He was staring at me with a look in his eyes that I've never seen before.

"I'd like to speak with you." Eric directed at me.

I propped myself up on my elbows, raising an eyebrow at him. "About what?"

"I'd like to speak with you _alone_."

"About what?" I repeated.

Eric narrowed his eyes as he took a step forward. Godric however, moved in between Eric and the bed, stopping him in his tracks.

"You can speak with her later."

"I'd like to speak with her now." Eric argued, moving his glare down to his maker. "Or am I not allowed to do so in my own home?"

Godric's body tensed and I knew he was growing angry. I quickly slipped off the bed, my legs a bit shaky at first after what occurred with Godric. Once I was settled on my feet, I walked over to the two and slipped between them, my hands on both of their chests. Their very toned chests. Oh this was bad; I could not be thinking these thoughts about both of them at the same time. Bad bad bad.

"Its fine Godric, I'll go talk with him." I locked eyes with Godric for a brief second before looking away in embarrassment. I leaned up and kissed him lightly on the cheek before turning to Eric. I didn't even get a chance to open my mouth before he was grabbing me by my arm and yanking me out of the room. "Can I at least get dressed first?"

"No." He answered gruffly as he pulled me down the stairs and to the main floor. I was confused where we were going, but once when we reached the basement door, I began to understand perfectly. He wanted to be alone, and away from Godric possibly hearing our conversation. What he had to talk with me about, I had no clue, but it wasn't like I could ask him at all.

I was pulled into his resting place, and the moment the door was locked behind us, I was pushed up against the cool metal. I shuddered at the coolness before his lips crashed down onto mine. I was beyond confused now, my hands on his chest to try and push him away.

"What...are...you...doing?" I asked between the kisses he was laying on my lips before moving his lips down to my ear, nipping at the lobe.

"Mine." He growled as he ripped apart the t-shirt, letting it fall away from my body and leaving me completely naked.

"Eric!" I had my hands firmly planted on his chest, panting as his lightly sucked on my neck.

"Your mine." He grabbed a chunk of hair, pulling my head back to give him better access to my neck.

I winced as his fangs popped out, grazing the pulsing vein. He lifted one of my legs up, and without thinking about it, I wrapped it around him. He suddenly pushed the length of his arousal into me the moment his fangs sunk into my neck. I cried out in both pain and pleasure, the two mixing together. I never even knew Eric had gotten naked, but we were skin to skin as he pushed my body harder into the metal door, the blood pouring down my neck. I moaned loudly, the pain completely disappearing as the pleasure took over my body. As I was so close to climaxing only moments ago, it didn't take much for me to go over the edge. I screamed out in pleasure as he thrust into me even harder, my orgasm rocking my body.

My body went limp against him as my orgasm ended. My eyes were closed as I leaned my forehead against his shoulder, Eric's tongue gently lapping at the remainder of the blood on my neck. I felt completely satisfied, but in a much different way than I had felt with Godric. I couldn't deny that I loved Eric stomping into Godric's room and just about dragged me out, only to ravish me himself. Either he was just selfish and didn't like to share, or he really did care and just didn't like to show it. While I knew the former sounded much more like Eric, I was hoping for the latter to be true. I wanted nothing more than Eric to just be jealous and actually want me more than just for sex. Though there was the more practical side of me that knew I shouldn't have even wanted that from Eric. He was an asshole, he had temper issues, he was a ticking time bomb, and he was a vampire with absolutely no morals. Why would I love him? How could I? What had he ever done for me?

Sighing, I lifted my head off of his shoulder and pushed at his chest. "That wasn't talking."

"You weren't complaining a minute ago." He snickered, raising his head up to smirk down at me. "You taste even more delicious."

"That's not the point, Eric." I slid out of his arms and stepped a few feet away from him. "Was that the only reason you dragged me away from Godric?"

"Your mine." He crossed his arms as he turned towards me. I shuddered at seeing my blood staining his mouth and lips. "I can use you whenever I please."

"No, you really can't, Eric. I'm not some toy you can just throw away and use whenever you're bored. I'm an actual person." I wrapped my arms around myself before turning and walking towards Eric's closet. I threw the doors opened and searched until I found a simple t-shirt and threw it over my head. Once I was somewhat clothed, I felt a bit more comfortable and turned back towards him. I yelped when I found him directly behind me, my back pressing into his bare chest. I quickly twisted and gave him a hard glare. "I'm so tired of this Eric. Do you even care, because it really seems that you don't. And if that's true, then fine whatever. But I can't keep being let on."

I watched his bored expression and I wanted to just slap him. Did he not care at all?

"Whatever, I'm done." I grumbled, moving towards the door.

"Going to crawl back to Godric?" he mocked.

His words stung. I spun around, and before I even really thought about it, I slapped him across the face. It didn't do a damn thing but make my hand ache, but it made me feel a bit better about myself. I went to stomp away, but Eric grasped onto my arm, yanking me against him roughly.

"I want you to listen very closely, Ellie." His voice was dangerously low. "You are mine. I will do with you what I please. Maker or not, Godric _cannot _have you. I do not share, not even with him. Is that understood?"

"You don't own me." I snapped back.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, I do own you. I own every single part of you." His hand trailed down my arm. "Your mine, Ellie. And that will not change."

A month ago, a week even, hell even a day ago, I would have accepted that and moved on. But now, with everything that's happened with Godric, I wasn't so sure I was okay with that anymore.

* * *

**A/N: **okay, a lot of stuff going on! so she and Godric...well they fool around a little, and then Eric storms in, yanks her out of the room, just to have sex with her himself...can anyone say jealous? so the third season storyline stuff will be happening, and I promise soon we'll find out more about the phoenix stuff.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

I was sitting in the kitchen eating cereal the next morning, my thoughts going a mile a minute. I hadn't slept a wink since Eric had waltzed right on out of his resting place and left the house. I barely remember pulling myself up the stairs to my bedroom, though I did vividly remember Godric waiting for me. I had rambled off excuses of being exhausted and ended up closing the door in his face. It was rude, especially after everything we had done earlier, but after the night I had, I was allowed to be a little rude. I spent the rest of the night just thinking. A few hours after dawn, knowing both vampires would be dead to the world, I snuck down to the kitchen and poured myself a bowl of cereal and ate in silence.

I just could not believe anything that had happened. Godric and I kissed before he nearly brought me to an amazing orgasm. But then Eric had to come along and ruin it. And then he ravished me himself! I just could not understand what was going on with me and the vampires that resided in this house. I knew I loved Eric, even though that was dangerous territory and he would never feel the same way in return. But I wasn't sure what I felt towards Godric. He had been like a brother to me for months, that thinking about him in this way was new and scary even. But there was no denying it; there were feelings there. The way that I felt when he was kissing me, when we engaging in such an intimate manner. The way that my heart skipped and my skin tingled, that just couldn't be ignored. But was that just because I felt lonely, scared and hurt after everything that's happened in the past few days, or did that dream really trigger feelings that we both had for each other?`

"I need to get my head checked." I sighed as I stood and dumped my bowl into the sink.

I ran a hand through my hair and thought of what to do for the day. There was no point in even trying to go out, Godric would have a panic attack if he knew I went somewhere without a proper escort to keep me safe. And Eric...well I don't know what Eric would do. I couldn't predict anything that he did anymore. So I was once again locked up with absolutely nothing to amuse me. I really needed to talk with them about this. I felt like a prisoner during the day. At least at night I would have Godric and Eric to deal with, and even Fangtasia to look forward to going to. But during the day, there was no one around, nothing that I was really allowed to busy myself with.

"I so need a life." I groaned as I left the kitchen and began wandering the house.

I eventually found myself in the small library that was filled to the brim with books of all languages and ages. I couldn't understand the majority of them, but enjoyed being surrounded by centuries of knowledge. I moved over to the small table that was to one side of the room, scattered with open and closed books. My fingers danced over the musty volumes, trying to figure out what some of the texts were about. Most of them were in a different language, but there was one that was in English and I intrigued by it. Beside it was a weathered leather bound notebook filled with elegant handwriting. I knew it was Eric's, familiar with the way that he wrote when he wasn't trying to be modern. I actually found his script rather beautiful.

"I wonder..." I muttered to myself as I sat in the plush leather seat at the table, my eyes roaming over the large notebook. I leaned back in the chair, with the book in my lap as I tried to make sense of what I was reading. "What in the world is a phoenix?"

"That's private."

I jumped, the book tumbling out of my lap and to the ground. My eyes were wide as I stared at Eric as he leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed and a frown settled on his face.

"I...er...sorry." I quickly grabbed the book from the ground and laid it back on the table before standing up. "I'll just, um, go."

I hurried across the room and went to slide by him, but he caught my arm and stopped me. "Do you have a habit of sticking your nose into places they don't belong?"

"I was just trying to find something to do." I defended. "It's a bit hard to amuse myself when I'm locked up all day."

"Your free to leave at any time." He stated simply.

"So if I walk straight out of the front door right now, neither you or Godric would give me an ear full later?" I rolled my eyes. "Fat chance."

"Leave, be my guest." He waved his hand out of the room and down the hallway leading to the front door.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you even awake?"

"I had a feeling you would be nosing around."

"Oh really?" I crossed my arms, pulling out of his grasp. "Well you can just go to bed then."

"And leave you to wander around my home? No I don't think so." Eric shook his head.

"I've been wandering around your home for months." I reminded him.

"And you become more of a nuisance every day." He tilted his head to the side.

"I'm so sorry, I'll just leave then." I replied sarcastically.

"Please do so."

My eyebrows shot up. "Huh? Why are you so persistent for me to go outside? Is this a test or something?"

"I'm not testing you, Elizabeth. I'm merely giving you what you want; freedom. Unless you enjoy being locked up like a prisoner." He straightened, towering over me with his tall stature.

"Maybe I don't want to go outside." Something felt wrong. Why would Eric be telling me to go outside? He hasn't exactly shown that he has cared that much about me, but he had always enforced the rule for me to stay inside during the day. He wouldn't just suddenly change overnight, would he?

"I insist." He stepped forward.

"I don't want to go outside, Eric." I frowned, taking a step out of the room. "I'm just going to go up to my room now."

Before I could take another step away however, Eric had grabbed me by the arm tightly and began dragging me down the hallway.

"I said, go outside." He growled.

"Eric, what the hell!" I struggled against his grasp. "What's wrong with you? I don't want to go outside. Eric, stop it!"

He was twisting my arm painfully now as he continued to pull me down the hall. When we reached the door, he stumbled over the many locks, taking longer than he usually did. That was when I knew something was most definitely wrong. Eric never stumbled over anything. He wouldn't just start now. Realization dawned on me and my face paled considerably.

"Who the hell are you?" I began panicking, trying to rip my arm away from him. "Let go of me!"

"You're going to go outside, you ungrateful brat." He spun around, his eyes a coal colour, something I hadn't noticed until now. His eyes looked exactly like the Australian vampire. But that was impossible. How was this imposter looking almost exactly like Eric, speaking like him? It didn't make any sense at all.

"I don't know who you are or how you're doing this, but you're not Eric. Now let me go!" I screamed, trying to hit him now.

"You're a weak, pathetic excuse of some treasure that the world hasn't seen in thousandths of years. Now you're going to cooperate." The fake Eric tightened his hold on my arm, causing me to cry out in pain.

"I am not weak!" I shouted.

"That's all that you are."

Oh he wanted to see power? I'll show him power. I didn't need to concentrate at all, my anger fuelling my powers. I searched through my mind for the closest piece of silver that I could think of, using my mind to control it. Just as the fake Eric was about to yank open the door, the entire contents of the silverware drawer was soaring through the air at the imposter. I quickly ducked before I was struck by the hurling utensils. The vampire barely had time to know what was happening before forks and knives, and even spoons were tearing into him, causing him to burn immediately. I was able to pull my arm out of his grasp, and used that opportunity to run to the closest wooden object, a small table in the hallway. I flipped it over before using a strength I never knew I had, and broke one the legs off. I was working off of pure adrenaline as I ran at him with the now lethal end of the table leg, ready to stake whoever this vampire was.

"Stop!" a hand flew out, grabbing me by the wrist and halting me from doing what I desired.

I stared up in shock at the actual Eric, who now stood beside me. He glanced at me quickly before down at the kneeling and screaming vampire. Whatever caused him to look like Eric was wearing off, his hair turning a jet black and into greasy locks. The eyes surprisingly had changed as well, into a soft hazel instead of the cold coal colour. I was beyond confused, and still just wanted to stake him. But Eric still had his hand wrapped around my wrist, tugging the makeshift stake out of my hands. His hold wasn't painful though, just firm as he pulled me closer to his side.

"Impressive." He mumbled down at me before glaring at the intruder. "Who are you?"

The vampire just screamed in response, the silver utensils still stabbing into him. I smirked in approval of my own skill. Weak my ass!

"He's weakened, you can stop now." Eric ran his thumb over the palm of my hand. "You did well, Ellie."

"But he deserves it." I pouted, glaring at the screaming vampire. "How did he look like you?"

"I don't know." Eric frowned. "But we'll need him alive if we plan on questioning him. Ellie?"

"Oh fine." I grunted, waving my hand in the air. The silverware immediately crashed to the ground, those lodged into his body wedging themselves out. I was still happy at the damage I had created. No one could ever say I didn't know how to handle myself. I think I just proved I could do some serious damage with my gift.

"Get Godric, we'll need him." Eric ordered.

"I'm already here, my child." Godric was beside us in a flash, staring down at the now unconscious vampire. "What's happened?"

"What did happen?" Eric turned his attention to me, his hand now clasping mine instead of my wrist. My face flushed as I tried to concentrate on the question at hand.

"I was in the library because I was bored, and then you...well the fake you, came and was all annoying. He played you well by the way." I shot Eric a look, who just gave me a dirty look.

"When did you realize it was not Eric?" Godric asked, his eyes flashing to my hand clasped in Eric's, before gazing up at my face.

"He kept insisting I should go outside." I explained. "Even when I said no, he just kept saying I should just leave. I knew the real Eric wouldn't say that."

"You're right about that." Eric muttered.

I nudged him with my arm and continued. "I really knew for sure when he couldn't unlock the door like Eric normally could. Eric never stumbles over anything..."

"Of course I don't." He smirked smugly.

"As I was saying..." I shot him a glare. "When I accused him of being some else, I noticed that his eyes looked exactly like Jeffrey's. I guess maybe he was controlling him? Though I don't understand how..."

"I do." Godric sighed. "But we'll speak about this shortly. Continue Elizabeth."

"That's another thing, he called me Elizabeth. Eric rarely calls me that." I tried to think of any other detail. "That's pretty much it. When I couldn't get away, I used my powers to...well you can see what I did."

Godric gazed down at the utensils, most stained with the vampire's blood. "You did extraordinarily well, Elizabeth."

"Everyone seems to think I can't take care of myself." I shrugged. "Him included. I wanted to prove him wrong. Everyone wrong."

"We know that you can fend for yourself, Elizabeth. That was never the issue." Godric clasped a finger under my chin. "We just want to protect you."

"Well apparently you can't protect me from everything. How did he get in here? Those locks are pretty solid. There's no other entrance to the house, and there's no windows. So how?" I looked between the two. "Should I be worried, like really worried?"

"Not yet." Eric shook his head, his eyes finding Godric's. "I believe she needs to know now."

"Soon. Not yet." Godric shook his head.

"Know what?" My eyebrows furrowed.

"Nothing, Elizabeth." Godric tried to assure. "Let's bind him before he regains consciousness."

I frowned at his sudden change of subject. What should I know? And why was Godric being so secretive?

"You did well, Ellie." Eric lowered his lips down next to my ear. "You've surprised me. You certainly aren't weak, and you certainly aren't pathetic."

My eyes grew wide. "You knew it was happening all along!"

"We both did." Eric smirked, straightening. "Do you really think we didn't hear you screaming? You're loud enough to wake the dead."

"What!" I snapped my hand away from his, taking a step back from the two. "You both knew what was happening and were just watching as this vampire was trying to kidnap me?"

"We would have stepped in." Godric spoke.

"So what, you were just seeing what little old Ellie could do then?"

"There's no need to be angry, Ellie. You did well. You didn't need our help." Eric stated.

"The vampire tried to kidnap me!" I threw my arms up.

"He isn't a vampire." Godric knelt down beside the...the whatever it was. He moved his head to the side, and pointed at the mark imprinted on his neck.

"Werewolf." Eric breathed, his eyes widening. "He's a werewolf."

"Seriously, they exist too?" I was surprised, but quickly shook my head and returned to the real problem at hand. "I can't believe you two just watched all of this happen!"

"Elizabeth, calm down." Godric stood and turned towards me. "Nothing happened. You're perfectly alright."

"I'm not perfectly alright!" I threw my arm into sight, a nasty bruise already forming. "Hello, not alright!"

"It's only a bruise. You'll live." Eric rolled his eyes, taking a step forward. "Godric, I have silver chains and gloves in my office."

Godric nodded and sped passed me. I just let out a loud scream before storming up the stairs. I could not believe them! Whether I was able to take care of the werewolf or not, was not the point! Both of them knew this guy was trying to kidnap me, to lead me to danger, and they both watched from the shadows while I feared for my life! What would have happened if I hadn't been able to defend myself? Would they have stepped in? Would they have just let them take me? How could the two vampires that satisfied me so much last night, suddenly become huge dicks this morning?

What the fuck!

* * *

It was later in the afternoon when I heard a knock on my door. I knew it was Godric without even opening the door. Eric would never knock; apparently knocking was beneath him or something.

"Elizabeth, may I come in?"

"Whatever." I grumbled, furiously taping on the keys of my laptop. When I remembered that it had been Godric who got me it when we arrived back here in Louisiana, I almost wanted to throw it out the window. But oh right, there were no windows in this damn house. How in-friggin-convenient!

"Don't be angry with Eric, Elizabeth." Godric opened the door and was inside my room in only a blink of an eye. "It was my idea. He wanted to intervene far earlier."

My hands were suspended in air as my mouth dropped open. My head snapped up, my eyes meeting his.

"Excuse me?"

"Perhaps it was bad judgement to..."

"Bad judgement my ass! It was the worse judgement possible, Godric!" I pushed the laptop off my lap and scrambled off the bed so we were face to face. "How could you Godric! You're worse than Eric! One minute you're acting overprotective and want to keep me safe, and the next you're feeding me to the sharks!"

"Elizabeth..."

"Don't, Elizabeth me!" I glared darkly. "I can't believe you. What would you have done if I didn't do anything? What then, huh? What if he snapped my neck before I could have even thought about using my powers?"

"We would have intervened."

"What if you were too late, Godric? I would have been dead and it would have been your fault." I poked my finger as hard as I could into his chest, not that it would do a damn thing. "I am so tired of this! Of all of this! I let you in Godric; I let you in to everything about me."

"Elizabeth I'm sorry." He lifted a hand up to cup my cheek.

I moved away before his hand could come into contact with my skin, his hand dropping back down to his side.

"Don't, Godric. Just don't." My eyes began watering. "I trusted you Godric. I forgave you for being overprotective because I knew you were just caring. But then you go and do this! And after last night! I don't know what happened, or what we did, but something happened Godric. I let you in, to every single possible part of me, and then you went and did this damnit!"

"Elizabeth, please..." he sighed.

A tear slipped down my cheek but I wiped it away quickly. "I would expect this from Eric; it's something he would do. But you? I never would expect this from you. How could you?"

"I'm sorry." He bowed his head.

"Well it's a little too late for that." I turned my back on him. "I can't do this. I can't do vampires anymore."

"Elizabeth..."

"I think I'm going to...going to stay with Sookie for a bit." I made my mind up on the spot. I had no idea if her offer was still available, but I didn't really see a reason why she wouldn't let me stay in her guest bedroom like she offered back in Dallas. I just needed to get away from everything for awhile. Australian vampire after me or not, I needed away from vampires.

"That would not be the wisest of ideas, Elizabeth. With Jeffrey..."

"I don't give a damn!" My voice rose once again as I twisted around to glare at him. "He can come for me for all I care. I don't give a rat's ass anymore. I'm tired of having Eric treat me like garbage, and I'm tired of...well I'm tired of not knowing what the hell is going on here." I motioned between us. "I just need space Godric."

"I won't be there to protect you."

"You weren't there to protect me tonight, Godric." I crossed my arms. "Don't make me use my nifty little power to do the same thing to you as I did to that werewolf. Because I will Godric. I need out. After all of this crap, I just need out. Just for a bit."

Godric looked like he had just lost his best friend. Well good, maybe he was beginning to understand how I felt.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid, Godric. You need to trust that I can take care of myself. I clearly did so tonight." I spoke softly. "You may think your only helping me, but you're really not. I don't know what happened between us last night, and I'd really love to know what the hell is going on with Eric and me, but I just can't figure that out here."

Godric sighed, but surprisingly nodded. "I understand. If you wish for space, then I'll give you space. But do know, Elizabeth, that you may not see me but I will always be watching you."

"I know you will be Godric." I walked up to him, kissing him softly on the cheek. "I know you'll always be my guardian angel, but I just need to get away from all of this."

"I love you, Elizabeth." His hands cupped my face.

"Maybe you should have claimed me as yours before Eric did." I sighed. "Maybe you shouldn't have sent me here, with him. Maybe I shouldn't have come back here. I don't know anymore. Sometimes I wish I could just go back in time and never have left that bookstore. Then we never would have met and none of this would have happened."

"I would be long gone if I had never met you, Elizabeth. You made me want to live." His lips hovered over mine before he pressed them against my lips for a brief moment. "But I will respect your wishes and give you time. I will be watching over you. Every waking moment I will be keeping an eye on you. But I won't interfere. When you are ready, I'm here. I will always be here for you Elizabeth, that will never change."

"I know Godric." I couldn't help myself as I kissed him again, letting my lips linger longer than they should have. "I'll see you soon, Godric. Just give me some time."

He nodded before dropping his hands to his side and stepping back. "I would suggest leaving in the next hour. I'll inform Eric after you're gone."

"Thank you Godric."

"I would do anything for you, Elizabeth. I may not make the best choices, but I only do so with your best intentions in mind."

"Sometimes they just don't work out, Godric." I shrugged. "I'll be gone in a half an hour."

"How long will you be away?"

"I don't know. A few days maybe. Maybe a week. Maybe two. I don't know. I just need to clear my head, figure things out. I can't do that here." I knelt down beside my bed and began sliding out my suitcase.

"I'll leave you to your packing." I could hear the pain in his voice. I almost wanted to push the suitcase back under the bed and decide against leaving. But no, I needed to do this. It would be good for me to finally take charge of my own life, even if it was just for a few days.

"You could always pop into Merlotte's." I offered. "I mean, if you miss me at all. I'm sure I'll be there a lot."

"Perhaps I shall." He nodded. "Now hurry, Eric will begin to grow suspicious."

I nodded and laid my suitcase on my bed. Godric kissed me on my cheek quickly before he was suddenly out of my room. I sighed heavily as I took a seat on the bed beside my bag, wondering if this was the right decision after all.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine:**

Godric listened closely as the front door to the house closed softly. He sighed as he considered stopping her before she could drive away. But no, he had promised to give her space. He had to respect her wishes, even if he wanted nothing more than to be by her side at all times. He couldn't however; he needed to let her live her life, for a little while at least. He would continue to watch over her, he vowed. Whether she knew he was there or not, he would watch her to the best of her ability, be there if anything was to go wrong. He would never forgive himself if she got hurt because he had carelessly let her leave without protection.

As he heard the car leave the driveway, he proceeded down the basement stairs and through the open metal door. The werewolf that was now completely transformed back into himself, was tired to a chair in the middle of the room by silver chains. He felt a sudden jolt of pleasure seeing the effect the silver was having on the werewolf. It had been many decades and centuries since he had enjoyed the act of torture, dying along with his desire of killing and drinking from humans. But seeing the pain the werewolf was in after causing Elizabeth pain and attempting to kidnap her, he wanted nothing more than to see him suffer. Elizabeth not only brought out his humanity, but instances such as this, brought out the true monster that he was. He would be pleased to see the werewolf's head ripped off his body, and would have liked to do it himself. Though as Eric entered the room, thick black gloves on his hands as he handled a large pure silver knife, Godric knew he was not the only one who had the desire to kill this creature.

Godric stood back and watched as Eric tortured the vampire, slicing wounds into the chest, arms and face of the werewolf. He caused him pain, but kept him alive to question him. The werewolf didn't speak a word however, and just howled in pain. Eric was growing frustrated by the minute, his aggression being shown on the werewolf. Godric frowned after a bit of time, realizing that there was a reason the werewolf wasn't answering questions; he didn't remember. He had no idea who he was, where he was, or why he was here. Just like the mysterious transformation to look exactly like his child, this werewolf had magic casted upon him. He had never seen such magic before in his long life, but it was the only possible explanation.

"Eric." Godric stepped forward just as Eric was growing restless and raised the knife to strike right through the chest of the werewolf.

Eric growled but paused as he glared over at Godric. "What?"

"His mind had been altered by magic. I suspect by the same person who casted a spell to appear exactly like you." Godric frowned. "I can only assume this is the result of Jeffrey."

"I'm going to kill that vampire." Eric's grip tightened around the knife.

"He will pay." Godric nodded in agreement.

"Now if you'll excuse me Godric, I have a vile creature to kill." Eric turned his head down to the werewolf, spitting on him. He was plundering the knife down when suddenly, he froze. His entire body went rigid as the knife dropped from his hands. He twisted towards Godric, a look of pure anger on his face. "Where is she?"

Godric knew he was speaking of Elizabeth, but kept a blank expression on his face. He knew Eric would grow angry when he found out what occurred.

"Where the fuck is she?" Eric's voice was dangerously low.

"She left." Godric sighed.

"What do you mean she left?" Eric's eyes narrowed as he took a step forward. "Where the fuck did she go?"

"To stay with Miss Stackhouse I believe." Godric recognized the rage on his child's face and braced himself.

"You just let her leave!" Eric bellowed. "There's a fucking vampire and god knows what after her!"

"She requested space. After what we've done, she deserves that."

"She's not a normal human, Godric. She's a..."

"I know what she is." Godric snapped. "But she is not a prisoner. We cannot treat her like one. She wanted to leave and I could do nothing but allow it."

"You've grown soft." Eric's fists clenched. "Your compassion for humans has changed you. You taught me to be ruthless, to care only for myself."

"That was many centuries ago. It was a much different world back then."

"It's the same fucking world, Godric. The humans are still ignorant, vampires are still bloodthirsty monsters. You're the only one who has changed, Godric." Eric spat before stepping towards the door. "You may have grown soft, but I haven't."

"No, Eric." Godric stepped in his path. "She wants space. She wants to be normal. We can't force her to stay here. This was always her choice. Her choice is to leave now; we cannot do anything but just let it happen."

"I refuse."

"You do not get a choice in the matter."

Eric was about ready to snap. And he did. He was blinded by his rage and snapped. He dived at Godric, but Godric sped behind Eric and took him down without even breaking a sweat. Godric's hand tightened around Eric's neck as he pinned him to the ground. Eric fought against his maker, but it was no use; Godric was a thousand years older than he was, he was no match for him.

"Calm, my child." Godric spoke, his voice even and soft. He could understand his child's rage; it only showed that he truly did care for Elizabeth. He wanted to see this reaction from him, and only wished he showed Elizabeth he cared as much as he showed him. Though, Godric couldn't deny the pang of anger that crossed through him at Eric's desire for Elizabeth. He had felt a drawn towards her the moment he laid eyes on her, smelt her blood in that alleyway. He had wanted her from that day, but had controlled his desires for her sake. She had grown a liking to him, but only as a friend. He didn't have the heart to ruin such a friendship and bond over the hunger and desire he held for her. He knew even before Eric and Elizabeth that the two of them would be drawn together. He and Eric shared the same blood, it was only natural for Eric to have the same attraction towards Elizabeth that he did. He had sent Elizabeth to him because he knew Eric would keep her safe because of that attraction alone. Godric never expected however, for his desire for Elizabeth to grow, just as his child's had, growing to such a point that he wanted nothing more than to find and ravish her without hesitation.

"You're leading her to her death." Eric growled. "Her blood will be on your hands."

Godric's own anger drove through him as he tightened his hand around his throat. Had it been a human, he would have snapped the neck already. But Eric was strong, just like he knew he would be the first time he had laid his eyes upon him.

"Do not forget that I am your maker, Eric, and demand respect." Godric's voice was dangerously low. "You will not go after Elizabeth, I command you to obey."

Eric let out a strangled growl in response, but could do nothing to change Godric's orders.

"She will never be yours." Eric gritted his teeth. "She's mine. She will always be mine Godric. You may be my maker, but she's mine, only mine."

Godric was taken back by Eric's possessiveness. "She is not a possession, Eric. She is a human being."

"She's mine."

"She is no ones." Godric narrowed his eyes. "She is not a toy you can use at your disposal. She deserves more than that."

"Do you really think you're any better than I am? You wait until now to try and take her." Eric was able to turn the tables while Godric was mildly distracted by his words. He quickly switched their positions, Eric now leaning over Godric as had hand his hand around his throat. "I made sure to show her exactly who she belongs to last night. She's mine. You are my maker, but I will not share. She is mine. She will always be mine. You cannot take her away from me, I've already claimed her."

Godric's fangs descended and, with his strength, threw Eric across the room with a single push. Godric was on his feet in a flash, but before he could take a step forward, a loud howling sound came from the middle of the room. Both vampires stared as the werewolf slowly began to transform, his body contorting. Forgetting about what they were previously arguing about, they bounded together to end the werewolf once and for all. In a gruesome demise, Eric and Godric tore the werewolf apart before he could completely transform, ending his life painfully. With blood and body parts surrounding them, Eric and Godric stared at one another, their eyes holding rage.

"I respect your claim, Eric. But do know that she is _my_ Elizabeth. You will not search for her; you will let her live a normal life until she feels she can trust us once again. Until then, we will watch and protect her from afar." Godric's voice held authority, demanding that Eric listen. Eric growled but bowed his head in acknowledgement. He couldn't disobey his maker, no matter how wrong he felt he was. "It's not my intention to watch her get hurt. If something should happen, only then can you intervene."

"And what about during the day?" Eric argued. "Who will protect her from the Weres that will surely continue to come?"

"We can only trust that Elizabeth will take care of herself." Godric licked the blood off his lips before turning and beginning towards the door. "You care for her, Eric. As do I. We need to do this for her. She needs to find herself."

"What if she never returns?"

"She will one day. For now, we wait." Godric threw him a pointed look before quickly leaving the room.

Eric growled deeply before grabbing onto the chair the Were had previously been tired to, and threw it across the room in anger. He proceeded to trash his own resting place, not caring what he was damaging. His anger was getting the better of him, and he wanted nothing more than to have the Were to rip apart once again. Godric was being irrational, thinking she could take care of herself. She was powerless half of the time, no idea how to use the powers that were still locked within her. She was a rare species that not even he had heard of until Godric informed him of her kind. She was special, she was rare, and she was wanted by more than just a vampire who had power that they could only imagine. And Godric just thought she could take care of herself?

"No." Eric grunted, shaking his head as he reached for his phone. He didn't accept the ruling by his maker, but couldn't personally find her and drag her back into their protection. But he could go to whatever means possible to make sure she returned sooner rather than later, and in one piece. He dialled in a familiar number and waited for his call to be taken.

"_Hello?"_

"Good afternoon Mr. Herveaux, I believe there's a debt that is still owing to me."

* * *

My thoughts were travelling a mile a minute as I drove through the few streets of Bon Temps. Part of me wanted to turn around and just drive right on back to Shreveport. What the hell was I doing? There was a mysterious, and obviously powerful, vampire that was after me and I was running away from the two that could protect me. Throw in the fact that now werewolves were involved, and I was a complete idiot for thinking time away would be a good idea. While I was sure that Godric would keep his word and watch from afar, making sure no harm was to come to me, that same promise couldn't be kept during the day. I was a sitting fish during the day, when a werewolf could just come and attack me. And god knows about that vampire, who knows what he could do or where he could go; daylight or not. What was I thinking, this was the worst possible time to try and 'find myself'. I should just go back and beg for their forgiveness.

I was thankful for the red light that forced me, and the car, to stop. I closed my eyes for that brief 60 seconds and just breathed, letting myself calm down. As dangerous as this was, I needed to do this. I should have gone back, but I couldn't. I just couldn't find enough strength to turn the car around and go back there. I needed this; I needed to understand not only myself, but what was going on around me. I needed to figure out whatever it was that I was feeling towards these two vampires, and I couldn't do that when I was living under the same roof as them. And it was especially hard when I just wanted to have wild and passionate sex with them over and over again. No, I needed time away from there, from them. Maybe just for a few days, or a week or two, but I needed time away nonetheless. I had to put everything into perspective, just for a little bit, and by myself.

As a car honked at me from behind, I was pulled out of my thoughts and continued down the street. If it weren't for the GPS in the car, I would have gotten lost finding my way to Sookie's, but thankfully arrived in her driveway without too many wrong turns. I was in luck to find her sitting on her porch, dressed to go to work as she sipped on a glass of iced tea. She stood as I slid from the car, a look of surprise on her face.

"Ellie? What are you doing here, is everything okay?" She stepped off the porch and pulled me into a tight embrace.

I almost wanted to cry as I hugged her just as tightly.

"Ellie?" She pulled back, her eyes searching my face. "What is it?"

"Can...can I stay with you for a bit? I don't know how long, but I need to get away." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I don't want to impose or anything, it's just...I don't know where else to go."

"Oh of course." She pulled me back in for a hug. "You're welcome here for as long as you want."

"Thanks Sookie." I wiped at my eyes.

"Is everything okay? Godric and Eric won't be happy about this. I'm surprised they even let you leave." She began leading me into the house.

"I just...I'm tired of everything. I need to get away from both of them, before I go mad. I either want to jump them, or just blow them all to pieces. I'm just so tired of it." a tear slipped down my cheek as Sookie motioned me to sit on the couch in the cozy living room. She came to sit beside me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders in comfort. "Godric knows, I guess by now Eric does too. I don't know what will happen tonight, but...but I need to do this. Just for a little bit, you know? I don't want to hate them Sookie, but I'm starting to feel that way. I hate how they make me feel, I hate how they treat me. I'm just so tired of fearing for my life. I want to be normal, just for once."

"I get that." She squeezed my shoulders. "I don't know everything that's going on, but I can understand that. You can stay here for as long as you need. Don't even worry about it Ellie."

"Thanks Sookie, I really appreciate it." I sniffed and rubbed at my eyes. "Am I keeping you from work?"

"I should probably head off soon, now that you mention it." She frowned. "Will you be okay here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I nodded before pausing and shaking my head. "Actually, do you mind if I come with you? I'm still a bit shaken up after what happened earlier and I think I need to be around other people and be busy. Do you think Sam would need some temporary help?"

"Sam always needs help." Sookie nodded. "We lose waitresses left and right."

"I don't know for how long, but I could really use having something to do. Maybe it'll help."

"Of course, we can talk to Sam together." She offered me a smile. "How about you go freshen up a bit and then we can drive over there together."

I gave her a small smile in return. "I really appreciate this Sookie; you have no idea how much."

"We're friends, Ellie. It's the least I can do."

I hugged her tightly before asking her where the bathroom was. She directed me and soon I was locking myself into the small, but usable bathroom. I sighed and leaned against the closed door, my eyes closing as I tried to get a hold of myself. I would be fine here, nothing would happen. No werewolf will jump out and attack, Jeffrey won't show up, and Godric and Eric will behave themselves and leave me be. Everything was going to be alright.

So why couldn't I just believe that?

* * *

**A/N:** so a lot has happened! Eric flipped about her leaving, like most of you imagined he would. Godric is admitting the feelings he's had for Ellie, though there's still so much about that connection that is still not known. Eric is extremely possessive and doesn't even want his maker to have Ellie (how hot is it to have two smexy vampires fighting over Ellie...lucky girl!), oh and gotta love that end to the werewolf...good stuff! and yes, i couldn't wait any longer...Alcide is entering the story! I couldn't keep that beyond sexy werewolf away for long!

So I sat down today and wrote sort of an outline of what I see happening in the rest of the story, which is something I hardly ever do but I had so many ideas at once that I needed to write them all down. I'm gonna throw out some warnings and prepare you all know for what to expect...it will follow the season 3 plot, but it won't exactly be all about Sookie (clearly because this story isn't about Sookie lol) but there will be a lot of the same aspects. I'm also gonna incorporate some of the book elements, because i'm obsessed with the books and just love how they're written. the biggest difference, is that I really like the book version of Sophie-Anne better than the TV show version, and the books has Andre in them (her child and bodyguard) and I personally loved Andre so i'm throwing him in here too eventually. the queen will still have her usual characteristics, but she'll have some more of her book personality than her TV (its not too much of a difference, just slight) and I like her so she isn't gonna be some crazy psycho (not too much anyways)...thats mainly the big difference right now.

Lastly (i know this is long and I should shut up lol), there's recently been a sudden death in the family, and it took forever even to write this (though writing feels like an appropriate way to help me grieve) so the next week or two is going to be off. throw in midterms starting soon, and I have no idea when i'll be updating. it'll most likely be random and at any time. unfortuantely my summer crazy updating won't happen again for awhile. But i do promise a lot of craziness and some great story telling. writing has always helped me deal with things, and right now I need something familiar and that is writing to me.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

I seemed to come to Bon Temps at the right time. Merlotte's was packed and crowded as ever when Sookie and I arrived at the bar and grill. Sam just about hired me on the spot and asked me to fill in for Arlene who had called in sick. I was more than happy to oblige, and quickly learned the ropes from Sookie. The patrons weren't too nosey, though some were a bit rude asking why I would go around and fuck vampires. Sookie would interject every time however, as would Sam. I really appreciated the two, making me feel more welcome than I ever had before. By the time my first shift ended, alongside Sookie, everything was looking a little brighter. I had a dreamless sleep in Sookie's former room, and actually woke up with a smile on my face. I hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. It was nice to not have overprotective (and rather sexy) vampires looking over my shoulder every minute of the day. I could just be myself, enjoying the sunshine with Sookie as we sat on the porch and talked for half of the day. By the time it came for our shifts at Merlotte's, I was happier than I probably should have been. But I couldn't help how I felt. Being around Sookie, someone who could understand what I was going through, it made me feel relaxed and at ease. Sam was the most fantastic boss, not prying as to why I was staying in Bon temps, but also making sure I knew that I could talk to him if I needed to. It really felt like everything was going right for once.

Of course, that night I was welcomed by a surprise that knocked my happiness down a few pegs.

The night at Merlotte's seemed typical to their normal nights; busy busy busy. There a good amount of drinkers, while some just came by for a quick meal and a good laugh. I personally enjoyed the drunken patrons more than anything, some good hefty tips being left. I chuckled and pocketed the tips, a smile on my face every time. I was just placing a pitcher of beer at the table Sookie's Brother Jason and his coworkers were sitting at when the door to the bar opened. I wouldn't have noticed anything at all if it weren't for the fact that there was a large gasp from a good amount of the female population. I twisted around, about to berate whichever vampire that it was. But I was surprised that the new customer was not a vampire at all, or at least that's what the dark tan and lively eyes told me. My mouth dropped open as did every other girl's in the bar. The man was absolutely gorgeous. He had that rugged but charming air about him. He was wearing a flannel unbuttoned shirt over a white tank, the muscles clear under his clothing. I almost wanted to walk right up to him and start feeling him up.

Well at least that was one way to not think about jumping Godric or Eric.

His hair was black, his eyes dark as they danced around the room, as if looking for something or someone. There was stubble on his face, making him look even more handsome than he already was. When his eyes suddenly fell on me, my cheeks flamed up and I finally got the feeling back in my legs and hurried to the kitchen window to pick up an order.

"Who's that?" I whispered to Sookie as I stood close to her, gazing at the handsome stranger over my shoulder.

"No idea, he's not from around here." Sookie was watching him just as closely, mesmerized by his looks. And that was saying a lot for a girl who was dating a vampire.

"Well he's rather..."

"Good enough to eat." Lafayette finished, winking at us.

I chuckled but nodded. "That about sums it up."

The initial awe of the man seemed to die down as quickly as it began. I kept my eye on him as I brought over a basket of chicken fingers to a nearby table before heading to the back to grab some napkins to refill a few napkin holders. I told Sam where I was going before slipping into the back hall.

* * *

Out on the main floor, Sookie was hurriedly catering to the patrons of the bar. Thankfully large clumps of groups began leaving at the same time, leaving the bar almost completely empty. It was getting later in the night, only a few hours to closing time. As it was the middle of the week, Sookie wasn't expecting another rush and stood by the bar to chat with Sam for a few minutes until someone needed her.

"Excuse me." a gruff voice interrupted Sookie and Sam's conversation.

Sookie went to flash a smile at the mysterious stranger that had entered the bar, but stopped when she saw Sam stiffen. She shot him a questioning look, to which he responded with a pointed look and a nod in the stranger's direction. Frowning, Sookie gazed at the stranger, who was watching them closely. She let her eyes close, her guards falling as she attempted to listen to the stranger's thoughts. She gasped however, her eyes flying open when she realized that it was a struggle to pull out even a single emotion from the stranger, an easy indicator that he wasn't completely human. She shot Sam a look before shooting off in the direction of the back.

"Can I help you with something?" Sam crossed his arms, having felt the two-natured creature the moment he stepped into the bar. As a shifter himself, he could feel and recognize another shifty easier than a human could. He wasn't sure why Ellie had mysteriously shown up in Bon Temps, but he had a feeling that it wasn't for just a friendly visit. He may not have known the girl for very long, and he hated those she spent her time with, but he liked her as a person. She was sweet, good to his customers, and accepted who he was kindly. And as an employee of his, no matter for how long that may last, Sam vowed to protect her from whatever evil that was after her.

"I'm looking for Elizabeth Cole." The stranger spoke, a frown settled on his gorgeous face.

"She's not here." Sam answered icily. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I don't want any trouble, I just need to speak with Elizabeth Cole." The stranger tensed.

"And why's that?"

"That's none of your business, _shifter_." The stranger's eyes narrowed.

Sam became more alert as he leaned over the bar. "Get off my property, _Were_."

"I'll leave your bar, but I'm not going anywhere until I speak with her." The stranger gave Sam a dark look. He strode over to the door and knocked it open, leaving the bar but not the property.

Sam spied him leaning up against a truck before asking Terry to watch over the bar for a minute. He quickly entered the back hallway and slid into his office where he could hear Ellie and Sookie talking.

* * *

"I don't know what he is, but he's not human." Sookie's face was full of worry.

"Crap." My heart began racing. "Crap crap crap crap. I should have known they would show up here. Shit."

Why did the handsome ones always have to be evil? For once, I would love a good looking guy to be one of the good guys. Was that too much to ask? I mean really!

"Can one of you please tell me why there's a werewolf looking for Ellie." Sam slipped into the office where Sookie had dragged me only moments before, closing the door tightly behind him.

My face paled. "He's a Werewolf?"

Sam nodded as he looked between Sookie and I. "One of you better start explaining. And now. He's waiting in the parking lot and won't leave until he sees you Ellie."

"Oh shit." I fell into a nearby chair, my head in my hands. "I'm sorry. I never thought..."

"What's going on Ellie?" Sam walked over, kneeling down beside me. "I told you that I was here if you ever needed to talk."

I sighed as I looked up, shooting Sookie a look. She nodded and motioned for me to tell Sam what had happened to cause me to come here. Or at least why there were Weres after me. I began the story of how there was a vampire after me, and he had sent a disguised Were to kidnap me. I also made sure to tell him how I dealt with said werewolf, just so he knew that I wasn't some weak little girl who couldn't stay out of trouble. It wasn't my fault my blood was some sort of vampire crack.

"Shit." Sam ran a hand down his face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. For now at least. What are we going to do about the Were?" I looked between Sam and Sookie, fear shooting through me.

"I could call Bill." Sookie suggested.

"No. I'll deal with him." Sam stood suddenly, a look of determination on his face.

"Oh Sam, no." I shook my head, shooting out of the chair. "This isn't you problem."

"You're my employee." He laid a hand on my shoulder. "I'm not about to let a Were come in here and cause trouble for my bar or my employees. None of this is your fault."

"But..."

"No buts." He assured before walking over to a closet and opening the door. He pushed a few things to the side before pulling out a shot gun, making my eyes grow wide.

"Sam, what the hell are you going to do with that?" Sookie's eyes were just as wide as mine were.

"I'm going to take care of a problem." A serious expression on the man's face as he left the room.

Sookie and I exchanged a look before quickly hurrying after him. We followed him through the main bar, gaining looks from the few patrons that were left, and exited through the front door. I caught sight of the Were leaning against a dark truck, and my heart began racing even faster. I wondered for a minute if Godric or Eric could feel my fright. Would they show up if they knew I was scared? Or would Godric keep to his word and not intervene? At the moment, it didn't seem to matter as Sam was determined to take care of the problem.

"I want you off my property now." Sam demanded, the shotgun being aimed at the werewolf.

The Were's eyes were on me immediately however. "Elizabeth Cole?"

"I said off!" Sam took a step forward, his finger on the trigger. "And you're going to stay away from Ellie. Got that?"

"I'm not here to cause any harm." The Were's hands shot up in defence.

"I don't care why your here." Sam's voice lowered. "Get off my property and I don't want to see you back here again."

"Look, my name is Alcide Herveaux. I was sent by..."

Sam didn't look like he wanted to continue the conversation pulled the trigger. Everything was going in slow motion as I stared into the eyes of the Werewolf, something clicking into place. He didn't look evil. He didn't look like he wanted to kill me. He didn't once try to attack us, or threaten me. He looked completely innocent.

Innocent and milliseconds away from getting shot.

I didn't even think as I raised my hand, eying the flying bullet as it exited the gun. I focused on it before pushing it with my mind elsewhere. Sookie jumped when the bullet hit a car across the parking lot, surprising Sam and the Were as well.

"What the..." Sam turned to stare at me in disbelief. I may have left out the fact that I could do that. "Ellie?"

"Who sent you?" I ignored Sam and questioned the werewolf.

He sighed and looked me directly in the eye, as if willing me to believe his innocence. "Eric Northman."

I sighed in relief. He wasn't here to kill me.

"Why did Eric of all people send you?" Sookie asked.

"Vampires hate werewolves." Sam eyed him, not believing him for one minute.

"My father is in dept to Northman. He asked me to keep a watch over Elizabeth Cole and the debt would be wiped clean." The werewolf gazed at Sam and Sookie for a moment before turning his attention on me. "I don't mean any harm. Northman made it sound like you were being tracked by a vampire and Weres. He thought I could help. You obviously know what I am."

I probably shouldn't have trusted him, considering everything that had happened this week with the whole trust issue, but I couldn't help it. He radiated warmth and kindness. There wasn't an evil bone in his body, I could sense that. And if he was sent by Eric, then that just made me trust him even more. And made me want to jump Eric a tiny bit as well. Maybe he did care if he called in someone to watch over me, someone who could protect me not only at night but during the day.

"Alcide was it?" I stepped forward, sticking my hand out. "Please, call me Ellie."

He nodded and took my hand. He was surprisingly warm compared to the cold touch I was used to.

"You believe all of this?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Yes." I shot him a look. "Eric sent him."

"He could be making that up."

"Call him and find out." I told him before offering a small smile at Alcide. "Sorry about all of this."

"I understand." He nodded. "Better be safe than sorry. Do you mind not aiming that thing at me?"

"Sam." Sookie walked up to him, laying a hand on his arm. "I don't get anything harmful from him. Just put the gun down."

Sam grunted but did so anyways. He shot Alcide a glare before storming back into the bar, the gun in his hand.

"I should have approached you in a better way." Alcide broke the silence.

"Probably a better idea it was a gun and not what I can do when I'm angry." I lightened the mood and laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind." He eyed me carefully. "Now, could you explain exactly what we're dealing with, Northman didn't explain everything."

"It's almost closing, go ahead home." Sookie waved at me. "I'll tell Sam where you are."

"Thanks Sook." I gave her an appreciative smile.

She smiled in return and headed back into the bar while I turned back to Alcide.

"So, do you want the long version or the short version?"

"Better go with the long." He nodded at his truck. "Give me the directions and I'll drive you to wherever you're staying."

"Thanks." I walked over to the passenger door he was now holding over. "Really, thanks. I know this is just paying down your dad's dept, and you wouldn't do this normally, but thank you."

Alcide stared down at me for a long time with that deep look of his before sighing and smiling slightly. "You don't look like someone who deserves all this trouble."

"I seem to be a magnet for it." I frowned.

"Well I'll make sure to keep the trouble down to a minimum." He jerked his head to the side. "Let's get going. And don't leave anything out."

I nodded and, with his gracious help, got into the truck. As I waited for him to climb in, I thought about the pride Eric was swallowing to call Alcide, a werewolf, to watch over me. Whether this was Godric's doing or not, I appreciated the effort. He had to of cared, even a little bit if he was calling in one of his enemies to keep me safe. Or at least, I was going to keep that thought as a fantasy for awhile. It felt nice to think Eric cared.

* * *

**A/N:** see, as promised, updating is random and at any time! lol, though in all honesty, I wrote this before I posted the last chapter, just had to finish it and edit. Alcide is now part of the story! I quite enjoy writing about him, because then I can imagine the hottie all the time...could they get a hotter man to portray Alcide? absolutely perfect!


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

"I know, it sounds like a damn movie." I handed Alcide a beer as I finished the long story of my life. I felt like he needed to know everything (besides the sex and desire to jump both Godric and Eric of course), including how I came to be in Godric's care, and ended up coming to Louisiana to live. Alcide hadn't spoken much since we got back to Sookie's house, taking everything I had said in. I braced myself for him to just get up and leave, not wanting to be caught up in all of my drama. I was surprised however, when his hand caught mine and squeezed it softly.

"That's a lot for one girl to take." There was warmth and kindness pooled in his dark eyes.

"I really don't know how I've gotten through it all." I admitted, sitting across from him at the kitchen table. "It feels like a dream sometimes, like I'm going to wake up and not know Godric, or have crazies coming after me."

"Do you wish it was all a dream?" he asked, taking a sip of the beer.

"Some days. It would make my life a whole lot easier." I shrugged. "But then other days, no. My life even before vampires came along wasn't an easy one. I was alone after my brother died, and being around Godric helped that loneliness."

"That's understandable." Alcide nodded. "I may not like vampires, but I get the loneliness."

"Have you ever been lonely, Alcide?" I asked curiously.

"Not in the same way, I guess." He sat back in the chair. "I have my dad around, and my sister, so I have a family. But there's always just been something missing."

"I know that feeling."

"After Debbie, it got a bit worse." He sighed.

"Debbie? Ex girlfriend?" I raised an eyebrow. Who would possibly leave this man? I've only known him for maybe an hour tops and I already pegged him down as the nicest man on the planet, not to mention the most gorgeous breathing one as well. If I had him, I most definitely would not be breaking up with him any time soon. Then again, I didn't know really anything about Alcide than what he was telling me now. Maybe he had a skeleton in his closet.

"Yeah." He frowned, and I could tell he didn't want to talk about it.

"Okay, let's not talk about depressing or life threatening topics." I clapped my hands together, trying to change the mood in the room. "I guess you'll be staying here for a bit then, right?"

"For as long as you keep getting in trouble." He smirked.

"So for the rest of my life then?" I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Sookie has a spare bedroom on this floor, I doubt she'd mind if you stayed there. We both think trouble is fun, so it'll be nice to have a big strong man around."

Alcide chuckled as I winked at him. For once, I actually felt...well somewhat normal. Here I was teasing and joking around with a man that wasn't dead and actually had a heartbeat, living in a home with another living person, and had a great job. This was exactly what I wanted, what I needed. I doubt I would be happy staying here for the rest of my life, I knew I would miss Godric eventually. But for now, and after everything that's happened, I was quite content on just enjoying this moment, for however long it was going to last.

* * *

The three of us got into a routine pretty fast. It felt more like three friends living together than Alcide acting like a bodyguard. Or at least, that's how I liked to look at it. Days went by and nothing happened. There was no werewolf attacks, no vampires coming by. Not even Bill made an appearance. I didn't mind at all, but Sookie was becoming restless at not hearing from her boyfriend. I wrote it off as him trying to bond with Jessica, but as she came into the bar with Hoyt quite a bit, that didn't seem as likely anymore. I focused on trying to keep her as busy as possible when we weren't busy working, which seemed to be quite a lot. I enjoyed it; I liked having something to throw myself into. I hardly had time to think about everything that's happened. The only time I let myself think about Eric or Godric was when I had inconvenient sex dreams about them. I swear, every morning after having one of those dreams, Sookie always seemed to know, and she couldn't even read my thoughts. Damn woman!

But, as someone wise once said, nothing lasted forever.

I was working the afternoon shift while Sookie had the night shift one day. I smiled at her as Alcide and I left, getting into his truck. It was like every other day we've done this this week; it felt like a normal routine even. We were chatting about the rumours and gossip Alcide had heard in the bar, some absolutely ridiculous. When we arrived at the house, everything appeared normal, nothing out of place. It wasn't until Alcide had his hand on the doorknob that he tensed up and sensed danger.

"Get back into the truck Ellie."

"What? What's wrong?" I questioned, trying to gaze into the house through the window.

"Truck, now." His voice was low.

One look at his face, and I knew he wasn't joking. My heart skipped as I dropped my bag on the porch and dashed to his truck. I was fumbling with the keys Alcide had tossed me, trying to find the correct one to open the doors. I began shaking as Alcide opened the front door to the house and let himself in, leaving me absolutely alone outside. Oh I did not like this at all.

"Oh come on!" I exclaimed softly as the keys dropped from my hands.

I ducked down to pick them up, but I was stopped halfway down. I saw the golden glowing eyes before I saw anything else. My eyes grew wide, my face paling as I snapped back up and backed away from the large, growling wolf. It was a dark grey, its teeth large and sharp as he snarled at me. Seeing it about to pounce, I twisted around and began running. I worked my way towards the tree line around the house, hoping that I could lose the wolf in amongst the trees. However, I didn't make it that far as I was knocked off of my feet. I groaned as my body hit the hard ground, the wolf on top of me. I squirmed, trying to push it away, but it just snapped at my face. I whimpered as the wolf's claws caught me on the shoulder, slicing right through the shirt and drawing blood. The wolf's mouth was so close to biting me, it's teeth only inches from biting down into the wound. I let out a scream, and not even seconds later was the wolf being tackled off of me. I scrambled backwards, watching in horror as Alcide fought in his human form with the wolf. I wanted to shout at him to change, but he was bitten in the arm before I could.

"Alcide!" I started crawling over to him, but was stopped by the growling wolf.

I felt absolutely helpless as I watched the wolf turn back towards me, taunting me as it slowly sauntered over. It stopped suddenly before just pouncing into the air. I braced myself for the impact, but it never came. Instead, a gunshot sounded before whimpering and then just silence. I opened my eyes, not knowing I even closed them, and was surprised to find Alcide pointing a gun at the wolf that had now changed back, completely naked as it lied on the grass with a gunshot wound in its back.

"Is...is he dead?" I asked, pushing myself up to my feet.

"Yes." Alcide nodded before wincing.

"Are you okay?" My eyes were wide as I knelt beside him to check his wound.

"I'll be fine, I heal fast." He assured, his eyes roaming to my own wound. "Are you?"

"Just some scratches."

He didn't seem convinced, but nodded and let me help him inside. I started cleaning his wound the moment I had him in the kitchen, though he tried to object. I just gave him a sharp look before continuing to play nurse. Once I had a bandage on his arm, happy to note he wasn't bleeding anymore, I sat down at let everything sink in.

"How's your shoulder?" he questioned, peering at the wound under my shirt.

"It'll be fine." I offered him a smile. "Thank you for saving my life."

"I wouldn't be a good bodyguard if you got killed." He returned the smile. "I'm sorry, I should have known before it happened."

"It's not your fault Alcide." I laid my hand on top of his. "You saved my life, that's all that matters. Though I don't know what we should do about the body."

"I'll call Northman and have him take care of it." Alcide shrugged, pulling out his phone.

"I'm going to go take a shower, shout if you need me."

He nodded as he punched in the numbers I had memorized by now. I shook my head at that thought and pulled myself up the stairs and into my bedroom. I didn't even make it to the bathroom just down the hall however, and instead, crashed on the bed. I was out like a light the moment my head hit the pillows.

* * *

I wasn't sure of the time when I was woken up in a start. I didn't even know what it was that woke me up until I was sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. A tap sounded at the window, and the moment I looked in that direction, I just about had a heart attack.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing Eric?" I screamed at the blonde, knowing full well he could hear me as clear as day.

He just smirked at me as he floated on the other side of the window. "Are you going to let me in?"

"Fat chance." I crossed my arms, forgetting that my shoulder was hurt. I winced and glanced down to find the scratches were much deeper than I first thought they were. "Shit."

"You're hurt." Eric's hands were gripping the window sill. "Let me in."

"I'm fine." I stood and began towards the door. "I just need to..."

"Ellie let me in damnit." Eric demanded.

I shot him a glare. "This is Sookie's house, I'm not about to invite in a vampire who she doesn't want inside her house."

"Porch, now."

I didn't even get a chance to say no as he was gone in a flash. I contemplated ignoring his order and just go into the bathroom to clean the wound. But I knew better than that. Angering Eric Northman was not something that should be done. I had been on the end of his anger far too many times to know just how ruthless he could get. Even though he shouldn't have even be here, he was and now the only way I would possibly get rid of him, was to go down to the porch and just deal with him.

Muttering curses to absolutely no one, I stomped my way down the stairs and to the main level. Alcide poked his head out of his room, sending me a questioning stare. I told him Eric was here and not to worry about it. He made sure I knew that he would come running if I just uttered his name. I felt grateful for his worry and kissed his cheek in appreciation. Alcide mumbled incoherently as he popped his head back into his room, leaving me to go outside.

"What do you want?" I asked angrily as I pulled the front door closed behind me.

"I needed to make sure you were safe." He only had eyes for my wound. I wasn't sure if that was because of the dried blood, or if he was just worried. "May I?"

"You may not." I crossed my arms stupidly, only to wince once again.

"I can heal you." He stepped forward.

"I can heal on my own thank you very much. If your only here to try and have a taste, than you can just go, because it's not going to happen." I stood my ground.

Eric smirked wildly as he appeared before me in a flash, pushing me flush up against the wall. "I only asked to be polite."

"Eric, don't you..." I never got a chance to finish however, as he began ripping the shoulder of the shirt wider, ducking his head down so his tongue could flick out and lap at the dried blood. I let out a soft cry of pain as his tongue dove deeper into the wound. I shuddered against the wall, my body shaking in pain as his tongue explored the wounds. "Hurts..."

He let out a growl as he straightened before biting into his wrist. He held it against my lips, not giving me a moment to refuse. I didn't want to drink his blood, yet again, to strengthen our bond. But there was nothing else to do but to just oblige. Maybe once my shoulder was healed, he would just leave. I opened my mouth and let the blood drip past my tongue. The moment I swallowed a single drop of his blood, it was like an animal lived inside of me. I wanted his blood, I needed it. I grabbed onto his wrist, holding it to my mouth as I sucked on his bloodied wrist, getting as much blood as I possibly could out of the wound. I could hear Eric snicker, but ignored him as I continued to drink. I felt the wound in my shoulder close, the pain ceasing. I barely paid it any attention however, as I just continued to drink the delicious blood.

"Enough." He pulled away his wrist with ease, leaving blood to drip down my chin.

I went to wipe it away, but he stopped me with his lips crashing down on mine. I moaned into the kiss as I stood on the tips of my toes to deepen the connection. Unfortunately, as quickly as the kiss began, it ended. I pouted in frustration as Eric stepped back, moving back over to the porch railing and leaned against it with his arms crossed.

"I originally planned to come and tell you what we've recently found out." His eyes bored down into mine as I sat on the lounging outdoor couch, my legs feeling shaky after that kiss. "However, after I felt your pain and fear, I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"You wanted to, or Godric ordered you to?" I questioned.

"Godric ordered me to not see you." He tilted his head to the side.

"So why are you here?"

"Because he happened to be called before he could come check on you himself." Eric looked smug as he told me this.

"Why do I have a feeling that that was your doing?" I eyed him suspiciously.

He just laughed as he strode over to where I sat and perched himself beside me. "Now tell me what happened."

I was sceptical at first, but sighed and began telling him the story of everything that had occurred earlier. When I mentioned the fact that Alcide had gotten hurt, there was a wide smirk on his face as if he was glad the werewolf was injured.

"You're childish." I shot at him before remembering what Alcide had told me earlier. "Alcide called you. That's why you came, isn't it? To get rid of the body? You just wanted to piss me off while you were here."

"A good observation, but not a correct one." He gazed out across the lawn. "I disposed of the body, if that's what you want to know."

"Where?"

"It would be better if you didn't know." He didn't look at me and just continued to stare at absolutely nothing. Or there could be something, but as I just had normal human eyes, I couldn't see a damn thing that was passed the porch. "Is Sookie home?"

"Uh..." I glanced down at my watch. "She should be home from work in another hour or so. Why?"

"No reason." He turned his head towards me. "We must talk about these werewolves."

"What about them?"

"They're from Jackson Mississippi." He began. "Their leader is...one of us."

"A vampire?" I frowned. "But vampires and werewolves hate each other."

"Which is why this is much more dangerous than we first assumed." Eric sighed, leaning forward to let his elbows rest on his knees. "I sent Bill to Jackson to gather more information."

"So that's why he hasn't been around at all. Does Sookie know about this?"

"No, he was to speak of it to no one." Eric turned his attention back to the lawn. "Bill hasn't arrived back yet."

"When was he supposed to be back?" my face began paling.

"Two nights ago."

"Shit."

"Precisely why it's imperative not to speak of this to Miss Stackhouse." He sent me a pointed look over his shoulder. "She will run into the streets screaming and end up getting herself killed."

"I won't tell her." I lied. Who was I kidding; of course I was going to tell her. This was her loving boyfriend we were talking about and she was my best friend. There was no way I wasn't going to tell her. I was just glad he was staring elsewhere and didn't take notice of how nervous I looked when I promised him that. "So about these werewolves..."

"These are not ordinary Weres. They're organized, well funded, and highly trained." He paused, a look of disgust crossing his face. "And fuelled by vampire blood."

"I don't even need to be smart to know that's not good." I chewed on my bottom lip. "Did you really just find this out now?"

"No." He shook his head. "Godric and I knew what the symbol meant that was burned into his neck."

"So why did you never tell me any of this before?"

"The better question is why am I risking everything to tell you this now?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Eric?" I watched him closely, completely confused at what he was saying.

"The idea was to keep you out of danger, not to put you more at risk." He turned his body towards me, his hand reaching up to cup my cheek. "Just by telling you this, I'm putting you in danger you don't need to be in."

I opened my mouth to question why, but he just suddenly stood and began towards the stairs.

"Eric, you can't just leave after saying something like that." I shot up to my feet to stop him.

"Oh I'm not leaving." Eric turned around, his blue eyes piercing into mine. "You are going to invite me in, so I can protect you...or have passionate primal sex with you. I'd like both."

My face flushed as he walked me back into the wall. I swallowed hard as I tried to look anywhere but up at him.

"You're not going to distract me by doing that thing that you always do." I wished my voice sounded as strong as the statement was supposed to be instead of wavering as his hand lay on my neck, his fingers dancing across the soft skin.

"And what is it, Ellie, that I always do?" he asked huskily in my ear.

"You..." I paused, closing my eyes as he laid a kiss just below my earlobe. "You try to seduce me and make me forget about everything else."

"And is it working?"

"No." I put my hands on his chest, pushing slightly. It didn't push him away, but his head did rise.

There was a spark in his eyes as his hand continued to caress my neck. "So are you going to invite me in?"

"I'm not falling for it." I shook my head.

He snickered, his hand dropping as he took a step away. "You will soon enough."

My face grew a deeper shade of red as I crossed my arms and glared down at the porch. I could hear him pacing in front of me, but I didn't look up.

"Won't Godric wonder where you are?"

"Yes I suppose he will." Eric shrugged. "But I could care less."

"I don't want you two to be fighting because of me." I spoke softly.

"If it wasn't over you, it would be something else." He shot me a look. "You cannot go a thousand years knowing someone without a few arguments."

"I guess." I bit my bottom lip hard as I tried to understand everything that he's told me tonight. "So these werewolves work for a vampire, who is supplying them vampire blood?"

"Yes." Eric nodded.

"They're already strong, so this just makes them stronger, right?"

"And mentally unstable." He added. "Not that they already weren't."

"Do you think that it's Jeffrey controlling the werewolves?" I wondered out loud, ignoring Eric's last comment.

"I don't believe so. He's still a fresh vampire, despite what he can do. This has been going on long before you were even born. Decades ago; centuries even."

"Then Jeffrey is working for whoever it is that is controlling the werewolves." I began to put two and two together. "Who has enough power to do such a thing?"

"I could name a few." Eric shrugged before his head snapped to the side. Before I could ask what was wrong, he had me against the wall, his hands gripping at my shoulders. "Invite me in."

"You can't bully your way in, Eric."

My heart skipped a beat as his fangs popped out. "Invite me in, Ellie."

I knew that look in his eye. This wasn't just a way to get into Sookie's house for whatever reason, so he could come and go as he pleased. No, there was something wrong, something very very wrong.

"Will it even work, it's not my..."

"You've been living here, so yes. Now invite me in." His hands tightened.

"Eric, please come in." My voice cracked.

He was gone in a flash, the front door wide open. I shot through after him, but was stricken to the spot in fear. A wolf sauntered out of the kitchen and into plain sight, eyes glowing a golden hue. The eyes met mine, and I knew that if there wasn't a vampire between him and me, I would be a goner. Eric watched the wolf closely, watching its every move. The wolf seemed to be doing the same thing to Eric, taking his sweet time. I gulped when I saw the wolf about to attack. But he never got a chance as Alcide, or who I assumed was Alcide, as it was a wolf that came leaping out of nowhere and onto the other. I let out a small scream as I jumped back and watched as a snowy white wolf attacked the dirty brown one, the two wrestling to the ground. I had to bite down on my hand to keep from screaming too loudly as Alcide bite into the wolf's neck, drawing a chunk of flesh straight out of the wolf's body. I felt sick to my stomach, the familiar taste of vomit rising in my throat. Eric, who didn't look pleased at all that he was interrupted before he could start a fight, must have realized this and had me in his arms and outside of the house in a blink of an eye.

"Breathe, Ellie." He had my face cradled in his hands.

The breathing didn't help anything and I instead bent over the porch railing and threw up my entire dinner. I felt hands moving my hair back, and was mildly surprised that Eric was acting in such a way.

"What's going on?"

I hadn't even heard the sound of a car pulling up to the house, didn't even know there was anyone else around until Sookie spoke. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and straightened, Eric's hand running up and down my back in a soothing pattern.

"Whatever you do, don't go inside."


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

Sookie and I sat on the steps of the porch as Eric left to help Alcide take care of the body of the werewolf; the second of that night. I was ready to call it quits. Twice in one night I was attacked by werewolves, and probably would have died if it hadn't been for Alcide. Twice in one night, a body had to be buried. All I wanted was a week or two of feeling like a normal human. Being normal wasn't supposed to be this hard. I wasn't supposed to have mystical creatures attacking me. I wasn't supposed to have dead bodies lying around. This wasn't supposed to happen, and yet it did. I was really starting to believe that my life was never going to be normal; I was doomed to this life, one that I never asked for. It just all fell into my lap and now I was forced to deal with it. Even if I never had met Godric, my telekinetic powers would have been triggered at some point. I doubt I ever would have had a quiet normal life.

"I can't believe you've been attacked twice today." Sookie's hand found mine, squeezing it softly. "Are you alright, Ellie?"

I shrugged. "I'm just tired of always having to deal with dead bodies. Or dead people in general."

She shot me a look of pity and squeezed my hand again. I sighed as I gazed out across the lawn, remembering the conversation from earlier.

"Sookie, there's something I need to tell you." I turned, looking her in the eye. "But you have to promise you won't tell Eric I told you."

Sookie frowned. "Why do I have a feeling this isn't going to be something good?"

"It's not."

"Alright, what is it?" She asked hesitantly.

"Eric and Godric found out that the werewolves are being sent from Jackson Mississippi." I chewed on my bottom lip, not sure how exactly I was going to phrase the fact that her boyfriend was currently missing. "Eric sent Bill there to try and gather some more information about them."

Sookie's eyebrows shot straight up into her hairline. "Bill? But why Bill? Why didn't he tell me?"

"He couldn't, Eric told him not to."

"Of course he did." Sookie pursed her lips together. "Does Eric ever think about anyone but himself?"

"Sookie there's something else."

"What?"

"Well," I took both of her hands in mine. "Bill was supposed to be back two days ago."

Sookie didn't respond for a few minutes. She just sat there, staring at me as if she was trying to process what I just said. When she did open her mouth to speak, she was in denial.

"It's probably just taking longer to get whatever information Eric needs."

"Sookie, I don't think..."

"No." She shook her head wildly, her ponytail whipping from side to side. "He's perfectly fine, Ellie. You know Bill, he's very thorough. He's just taking longer to make sure he knows everything he needs to know."

I was expecting tears, I was even expecting shouting. But what I wasn't expecting was her smile of assurance and her denial. I didn't know what to say or do. Did I break her bubble, and tell her that Bill was more than likely missing, or did I just go along with her train of thought? I didn't want to hurt her, but maybe in the end she was right. Maybe Bill was just still in Jackson gathering information. I knew it was unlikely, but her denial and optimism seemed better than the actual reality of the situation. And right about now I could use some optimism.

"He's fine." She nodded, though I wasn't sure if she was assuring me or herself. "He's perfectly fine."

All I could do was nod and let my mind wander back to what had just happened. We sat there in silence for what felt like the longest time before Eric and Alcide appeared out of the woods. It seemed like the moment Sookie saw Eric, she snapped. Say goodbye to the optimism and denial, she was a full blown wreck. Tears welled in her eyes as she shot up off of the stairs and stormed over to the blonde Viking. I watched in shock as she slapped him as hard as she could, sending his head to the side. Alcide stood behind Eric, an unsure look on his face, though he appeared ready to intervene should Eric doing anything.

"How could you let Bill go missing!" She shouted.

So much for not telling Eric, I thought. I sighed as I stood, knowing Eric was going to give me an earful.

"Do not think for a minute," Eric towered over her, his fangs descending. "That I am anything like your precious boyfriend. I do not respond well to violence and shouting."

Sookie backed up a good foot, but crossed her arms and stood her ground. Eric stepped forward, but I was off of the porch before even Alcide could step in.

"Eric, don't get angry at her. I told her, get pissed with me." I pushed myself in between Eric and Sookie. I shot Sookie a look over my shoulder, pleading with her to let me handle this. "Sookie, why don't you go see Jessica, maybe she's heard from Bill. Alcide you should go with her just in case there's anymore wolves around."

Alcide shook his head, giving me a pointed look. "I'm not leaving."

"Yes you are. I'll be fine."

We had a staring contest for a moment before he sighed and nodded. Sookie didn't look like she was going to oblige as easily, but Alcide took her around the shoulders and just about pulled her away from us and into the direction of Bill's house across the cemetery. Once they were out of sight, I spied a look up at Eric, and was surprised to find his expression neutral, as if he were bored.

"Eric?"

"I told you not to tell her." His eyes met mine.

"She's my best friend, Eric. I had to tell her, she deserves to know."

"You just sealed her death. You are both idiots." He shook his head and strode right on pass me.

I frowned and followed him up to the porch. "We're not idiots. We can take care of ourselves. Everyone seems to think Sookie and I are so useless. We're not you know."

"You are." He turned on me, his fangs back out. I gulped as I took a step back. "You have unreliable powers, both of you. You would not survive if it weren't for Godric and my constant intervening."

"I didn't need you tonight." I pointed out. "Alcide did a pretty damn good job."

"Because I asked him to watch over you. You did nothing." He reminded, closing the gap between us. "You are foolish to think that you can survive without our help. And because of you, you're supposed best friend is going to get herself killed."

"So says you." I crossed my arms. "You don't know a damn thing."

I heard the growl, and knew he was going to do something he shouldn't. I took another step back, and without even think, I raised a hand in a halting stance. Eric was vaulted from the spot he stood, his body flying through the air and crashing down onto the porch. My eyes were wide, but I quickly masked my surprise that my powers worked so quickly.

"Unreliable powers, huh?" I walked to the porch, staring down at the hole in the porch he was wedging himself out of. "You owe Sookie a new porch now."

If looks could kill, I was certain I would be six feet under right now. Before I had a chance to even begin to understand what I had even done, Eric was off of the porch and had me flat on my back on the grass. I yelped in surprise at the rough impact with the ground, my arms trying to push him away. He pinned my arms to the ground however, as his legs kept mine under control. I glared up at him as he bared his fangs in an attempt to scare me. While I tried to keep up the mask that I wasn't afraid at all, I knew deep down inside I was. Eric wasn't exactly a stable vampire, even if he was 1000 years old. He had anger problems, not able to control himself when his temper flared. And after what I just did, it was obvious that he wasn't amused.

"Your powers are no match for a vampire. You'd do well to remember that." He growled, his fangs growing closer and closer to my face. "You could be killed before you even consider using your powers. It only takes seconds for a vampire to rip out your throat."

I wasn't sure what he was going to do. Would he bite me? Would he prove a point and rip my throat out? My fear was starting to seep through my mask, and I knew he could feel it. He smirked down at me, his fangs making the look seem even scarier.

"A vampire would be able to smell your fear a mile away." He cocked his head to the side. "Your weak human emotions will be the cause of your death."

"Are you going to kill me?" I questioned, my voice wavering.

"No," though he lowered his head down to nuzzle my neck. I winced when his teeth grazed my ear roughly. "You're too useful to kill you."

I let out a sigh of relief, though it was replaced with a scream as his fangs sunk into my neck suddenly. My eyes grew wide as he hungrily drank from my neck, the pain almost unbearable. He knew how to make it not as painful, as he had done so in the past. But tonight, he was showing his power, his authority over me. He was teaching me not to disobey him; I knew that, though it didn't make it any less painful. I gasped in pain as his fangs retracted, his tongue lapping at the wound on my neck before he raised himself off of me. I didn't have a moment to catch my breath as his hand came out and wrapped around my throat tightly before yanking me up onto my feet. I tried to let out another scream, but his hand was cutting off my oxygen. He gave me a look of disgust before carelessly tossing me a few feet away, my body crumpling to the ground.

I whimpered as I held my neck in one hand, my eyes closed to try and cease the pain. When I did eventually open my eyes, I was surprised to find that I was now alone in Sookie's yard, no vampire in sight. I sighed as I shakily began pulling myself to my feet, though my legs weren't cooperating.

"Ellie? Are you alright?" Sookie's voice came from the edge of the cemetery as she and Alcide came back. There was a look of anger on Alcide's face as he jogged up to me, wrapping an arm around my waist to keep me up on my feet.

"I'm fine." I assured. "Sorry about your porch, Sookie. Eric..."

"I care more about you than a porch." She waved her hand in the air before her eyes fell on the porch in question. Her eyes widened when she saw the gaping hole in the middle of the once perfectly designed porch. "Oh wow."

"He'll pay for it to be fixed. Or at least, I think he will."

"Don't bother." Alcide shook his head. "I'll fix it tomorrow. It's the least I can do since I stained the floor inside the house."

Sookie blinked when she heard that, though didn't ask exactly how it was stained. Probably best to have that conversation tomorrow. "Let's just get to bed. It's been a long night."

"Did Jessica know anything?" I asked as Alcide helped me into the house, avoiding the hole in the porch.

Sookie sadly shook her head, following us in. "She didn't even know he was supposed to be back yet."

"I'm sorry Sook. We'll find him, I promise." I assured her, sending Alcide an appreciative smile as he assisted me onto the couch.

"Oh I plan on it." She stated determinedly.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"I'm going to Jackson." She held her chin in the air. "I'm not going to let Eric Northman be the reason that Bill dies. I won't let that happen. I'm going to find him."

"I told her it was a bad idea." Alcide told me as he gently turned my head to the side and laid a cool cloth against the fang wounds. I winced, but didn't pull away, quite liking someone taking care of me. Someone who hadn't caused the damage to being with.

"It is a bad idea Sook." I agreed. "These wolves are ruthless. And they're being led by a vampire, probably one old and powerful. It's too dangerous."

"I don't care. It's Bill, Ellie." I could see tears in her eyes and felt sorry for her. "Do you remember how you felt when you found out Godric was missing?"

I sighed and nodded, remembering all too well that feeling in the pit of my stomach when Eric confirmed that Godric was missing. I still remember running onto that rooftop in Dallas to stop him from meeting the sun. The pain I felt when I thought I was going to lose Godric forever was just horrible. So yes, I knew exactly how Sookie was feeling right now, and I would be a hypocrite if I told her to just sit on her ass and do absolutely nothing.

"I'm not asking you to come. You can't. These people are looking for you, and going there would be a death sentence." She sat on the other side of me on the couch. "But I need to go. I need to do this, to at least feel like I'm helping Bill."

"I understand." I nodded after a moment. "You go do what you have to."

"Thank you, Ellie." She hugged me tightly, though was careful of my neck.

"What? You think this is a good idea." Alcide pulled his hand away from my neck, a small bandage now in place. "It's suicide!"

"It is." I didn't disagree. "Which is why you need to go with her."

"You need him here, Ellie." Sookie shook her head.

"You're going to the belly of the monster, Sook; you need him more than I do." I assured her before turning my attention onto Alcide. I took his hand in mine, running my thumb over his palm. "You've been amazing Alcide, I couldn't have asked for a better friend. And I consider you a friend, not a bodyguard hired to watch over me. But Sookie needs you. You're from Jackson, you can help her. You're a Were, you could take her to places that she wouldn't be able to get to. She_ needs_ you Alcide."

"But..."

"Please, Alcide. Do this. I promise I'll be fine."

"And how do you plan on protecting yourself against the other Weres that will come for you?" Alcide didn't look convinced.

I inhaled sharply, knowing exactly what I had to do. I didn't want to, as it contradicted the whole reason I had come here, but it was the only thing to do. Right now, Sookie needed Alcide more than I did. I couldn't stop Sookie from going to Jackson to find Bill, and if I could, I probably would have gone with her. But I couldn't, I wasn't going to be an idiot for once. But it did mean that I would be without a bodyguard. And the only way that anyone was going to agree to this, was if I was under proper protection from whatever was going to come after me next.

"I'll go back to Shreveport." I announced.

"After tonight?" Sookie sounded surprised. "But Eric, he..."

"I know what he did, and it's not like it's the first time he's done it." I reminded her. "This is Eric we're talking about. I've been on the end of his tempers more times than I can even count. I can deal with him."

"But you came here to get away from them, to have a normal life, even just for a little bit."

"Yes, but after tonight, I've realized that I'm never going to have that. I'm a telekinetic Sookie, and god knows what else. I was never supposed to have a normal life, that wasn't my destiny. I need to just deal with that and move on. It's been amazing being here Sookie, it really has been. But I think it's time I just face the music and stop living a fantasy."

I was surprised by the bone crushing hug, though I couldn't help chuckling and hugging her just as tightly in return.

"You're always welcome here, Ellie." She pulled back after a moment, her eyes shining with tears.

"I know Sook. I promise, after all of this is over and done with, I'll be around more often."

She nodded and rubbed at her eyes before glancing at Alcide. "You don't have to come with me, that isn't your job."

"I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you in Jackson and I wasn't there." He shook his head with a sigh. "Are you sure, Ellie?"

"I'm sure." I nodded. "Sookie needs to find Bill, and I need to stop being afraid. Everyone seems to think I'm weak and useless. I'm not. I can kick some serious ass. The porch knows that first hand. My brother always taught me to fight back, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to fight back; I'm done being a fragile little girl. I'm supposed to be some powerful being; well I think it's time I start acting like one."

* * *

**A/N:** I just wanted to give a big thank you out to everyone who has read, put this on their alerts, and has reviewed this story. It's overwhelming to see so many people actually liking this story. writing is my life, and if I could do it for the rest of my life I most definitely would. especially with everything thats happened in my life lately, you have no idea how great it is to check my email and see the reviews, or the people putting this on their alerts or favorites. so thank you thank you thank you! I promise you that this story is going to be bigger and better than even the first! I have big plans and ideas, and when I get excited about something, I throw myself into it at full force.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

I stood in front of Fangtasia with a heavy heart. I didn't want to go in there and look like I was crawling back to them, especially after what Eric had done at Sookie's a few days ago. But it wasn't like I could just go back to Bon Temps. Alcide and Sookie dropped me off on their way to Jackson, so there really was no going back. I was here now, and I needed to face the music. I could do this. I was powerful; I wasn't the useless human Eric seemed to think I was. I just needed to start believing that. I needed to be confident in my powers and plainly just in myself. It was about time I started to believe everything Godric always told me.

"I can do this." I whispered to myself. "Come on Elizabeth Cole, you can do this. No more fear."

After the short pep talk, I inhaled deeply before slowly walking to the door of the bar. It was one of the few nights in the week that the bar was closed. I knew the door would be locked, and had to result in knocking on the door. I wondered at first, if anyone would even come to let me in, but not even a minute went by before the door opened to reveal Pam in a pink velour tracksuit. One thing I had to hand the woman, was the fact that she looked great in anything. She and I had never seen eye to eye before, though I knew I could trust my life in her hands. She was Eric's progeny, and for that, I respected her. And her humour was interesting...as long as it wasn't that weird lesbian humour. That was just a bit too out there for me.

"Look what the cat dragged in." She smirked, crossing her arms as she stared down at me. "Finally decided to come back, did we?"

"Oh shut it, Pam. Let me in."

She rolled her eyes but took a step to the side to let me pass. I heard an intake of breath as I passed, and I knew she could smell my intoxicating blood. I quickly hurried into the bar, not wanting to be in a small vicinity with her. While I knew she wouldn't harm me, a quick taste I was sure, was not out of the question. I was really getting tired of being vampire crack.

"Where are they?" I asked, looking around the empty bar. I had hoped, and figured, that Godric and Eric would be here. I hadn't thought of the possibility that they wouldn't be.

"Eric's office." Pam strode pass me.

I didn't even need to ask what the two were talking about, as the door leading to the back hallway burst open and an angry Eric came storming out. I couldn't understand a word of what was being said as Godric walked out after him, but I could tell it was a pretty heated argument. I don't even think the two realized I was even there until Eric bumped into me. He twisted around, his fangs popping out as he glared down at me. I gulped but kept my emotions masked.

"What are you doing here?"

"I..." I didn't get a chance to explain before Godric interrupted me, speaking in whatever language the two spoke in. When Pam joined in, I threw my hands up in annoyance and walked over to Eric's throne to take a seat.

It was rather interesting to see three vampires arguing in a foreign tongue while I just looked on from afar. I had no idea what they were arguing about, though a part of me really didn't want to know. That would just cause more trouble for me. I did catch a few names that sparked my interest, though I still didn't know in what context they were being used in. After awhile I began to grow restless and began tapping my foot impatiently on the floor, my fingers drumming on the arm of the throne.

"Unless you want to lose your limbs, cease that." Eric's angered voice was directed towards me, though his back was to me.

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe you all should be speaking in English so I wouldn't be bored."

"This doesn't concern you."

"Alright, well if we're just going to keep me out of the loop, _again_, then I'm just going to have to go to Bon Temps where I won't have Alcide as a bodyguard." I knew that would finally grab their attention. I lifted myself out of the throne, but wasn't even on my feet for a second before a set of hands were on my shoulders, pushing me back down.

"What happened to the Were?" Godric questioned, his eyes narrowed as he stared down at me.

"I told him to go with Sookie to Jackson." I shrugged.

"Oh of course." Eric rolled his eyes, turning around to face us. "She would be stupid enough to go there, wouldn't she?"

"Eric, enough." Godric snapped, shooting the blonde Viking a glare. When he turned back towards me however, his face softened. "You're returning?"

"I don't really have much choice." I answered simply. "Though things are going to change."

"You have no right to come in here with demands." Eric narrowed his eyes.

"Actually, I do." I crossed my arms, trying my best to avoid looking at him as I stared up at Godric. I motioned to the chair beside the throne and waited until he was sitting to continue. "I'm tired of not being told things. You need to tell me what I need to know in order for me to protect myself. I might not be as strong as a werewolf, or as quick as a vampire, but I do have power. I'm not going to just sit back and let these vampires and werewolves try and kill me. I can't. I need to fight back, I need to do something. So you need to start filling me in, on everything."

Godric opened his mouth, and I knew by the look on his face that he was going to argue against my request.

"You want to protect me, Godric, and I appreciate you caring so much to want to do so. But I need to be able to protect myself too. And I can't do that if I'm left in the dark. I'm not a child; I'm not some fragile little girl. You need to tell me things so I can prepare myself. If you can't do that, then there's no point of me being here, ever."

I could he objected the idea in his eyes, but when he sighed and nodded, I couldn't help but smile slightly.

"This is ridiculous." Eric interjected. "We don't need to tell you a damn thing."

"She has a point, my child." Godric held up a hand.

Eric growled, muttering in the foreign tongue. The look on Godric's face told me that what Eric had just said was not something he approved of, though he didn't say anything in return.

"If that is all, then we will oblige." Godric took my hand. "I've missed you, Elizabeth. It has killed me not to see you."

"I've missed you too Godric." I actually was being honest about that. While he and Eric had driven me insane, it did feel odd not to have Godric's encouraging words around all the time. "But I have one other request."

"What is it?"

I let my stare linger on Eric's angry form for a moment before turning my attention back to Godric. "No sex."

Godric blinked, surprised by the two words that had just left my mouth. Eric wasn't pleased at all, as he growled audibly louder.

"Half of the reason I left was because I was confused. I'm still confused but I refuse to let that get in the way right now." I tried to ignore Eric's eyes boring into me. "I don't understand what I feel towards either of you, but right now, there are bigger things at stake. Like my life. So no sex. No sexual thoughts. No sexual actions. We're just all...friends or whatever, nothing sexual between any of us."

It took a moment for Godric to fully understand this, but he did eventually nod. "We've both been selfish and we hurt you. I apologize. Your friendship means more to me than many things."

"I feel the same way Godric." I leaned over and kissed his cheek softly. "Maybe when all of this is over and done with, I can try and figure this all out, but until then..."

I never had the chance to finish before the door to the club was blasted open. And when I say blasted, I mean the door is literally on the ground, off its hinges. My eyes were wide as Godric and I stood from our chairs, Godric placing himself in between me and the intruders. Pam and Eric looked ready to attack, but the moment a short, bald headed man walked through the doorway, they straightened. I did take notice of their tense bodies however, noting that there was a mixture of anger and fear in their eyes. Oh this could not be good. I thought I wasn't supposed to get into trouble if I came back to Shreveport?

"Magister." Eric inclined his head in acknowledgement.

So this was the Magister guy I've heard about. I had no idea of the power or authority that he held, but I did know that he was someone that wasn't to be crossed. I got that much from the few conversations I heard between Godric and Eric.

"Mr. Northman." The Magister's eyes were like the eyes of cats, narrowed into slits and looking every which way. When his eyes fell on me, I shuddered at the coldness expressed in those intimidating eyes. There was a smirk on his face as his eyes roamed over me before returning his gaze onto Eric. "I believe we have a matter to speak of."

Eric looked unsure as a group of vampires entered the bar and stood behind the Magister. Each of the vampires looked sinister, far scarier than any of the vampires I had known back in the Dallas nest or even the ones that showed up here at Fangtasia. I suppose I never knew a true vampire, as these looked exactly like you would imagine them. I gulped and knew this wasn't going to be good. No one came with an escort unless there was going to be a big fight, movies had taught me that. And by the way the vampires were staring at me hungrily, I would say that the movies seemed about right. It didn't help of course that I was vampire crack and they probably could have smelt my unusual blood a mile away. This was NOT good, with a capital N-O-T.

"Magister," Eric's eyes were moving quickly, his eyes falling on me, then to Godric, quickly gazing at Pam beside him, and then finally resting on the Magister. "Perhaps we should speak in my office, alone."

"There's no need Mr. Northman. You're all suspects."

Suspects? Suspects for what? I wanted to ask that out loud, but I knew it wasn't exactly the right time to be playing innocent, even though I truly was. I swear though, if Eric was going to get me killed for some stupid idea of his, I was going to be extremely unhappy in my afterlife!

"Magister," Godric spoke, taking a step forward though he still kept himself in front of me as best as he could. "It's been many centuries."

"Ah yes, Godric. It has." He eyed Godric carefully. "I heard about Dallas, I do hope your well."

"I am." Godric nodded. "On what grounds are you here?"

"Perhaps Mr. Northman would like to explain to us all why I'm here." The Magister absently twirled the sleek black cane that he held.

Eric looked like he was just thrown into a pool of silver. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Magister."

"Don't play coy with me." the magister stepped forward. "Do you deny that V was being sold in your area?"

I gasped. Yes, I gasped, and rather audibly too. All eyes shot to me for a brief moment before turning onto Eric. He now looked like a deer caught in the headlights. I guess what the magister was saying was true, and I just couldn't believe it. How could Eric, a vampire himself, be selling V. V, black market vampire blood, was the worst possible drug on the market, and the most expensive. It was unpredictable what it could do to the person who takes just a drop of the blood. Some it was a sexual experience, others, it drove them mad. Half of the time the blood, or so I've heard, isn't even completely real. But to sell it was a grave offence, as even if it was true vampire blood, it had to of been drained from a vampire. For a vampire to sell the blood of their own kind, that was just unforgivable. And sickening. It was like if I went and sold another human's blood to a vampire. It just wasn't right.

"Not on my orders. I've been framed." Eric spoke, his voice strained as if he was thinking on the spot. I wasn't sure if it was just obvious, or if it was the bond that we shared that I could tell that. I was hoping for the latter. As much of a pain in the ass that he was, I wouldn't want to see him get hurt, or worse, killed, by these vampires.

"Then on whose? Your Queen's?"

When Eric didn't answer, the vampires jumped into action. They went after Pam first, before anyone could move to stop them. I had to muffle a shriek with my hand, my heart racing as three vampires threw silver around Pam's limbs, bringing her down to her knees as the skin burned where the silver was being pressed in. Eric's demeanour completely changed when he saw Pam, who was trying desperately not to scream out in agony. If I hadn't thought Eric could feel emotions before, I was a believer now. There was pain in his eyes, the pain that he was feeling for his child, his progeny. He loved her; she was his, in every sense of the word. Knowing that, seeing that devotion first hand, it just made me fall just a little bit harder for the man of steel.

"So, what's it going to be Mr. Northman? Should you be charged for the distribution of blood in your area, or treason?" The magister tugged at the bottom of his cane to reveal a long, sharp piece of silver.

I felt sick when he walked over to Pam, and used the sharp silver tool to slice right down her midsection. Godric had to place his hand over my mouth this time to muffle my screams that would have been mixed with Pam's. Eric looked like his entire world was falling apart, and I'm sure from his perspective, it was.

Pam's screams of agony were enough to make me want to just ball. She may not have been someone who I was close to, but I would never wish to see her harmed. She was nice enough to me, and did do her best to protect me when it counted. But now she was absolutely defenceless, something I wasn't used to seeing. She was always so strong, much like her maker was. I didn't like seeing her in such a way.

"It was Bill Compton!" Pam screamed, bloody tears cascading down her face. Her eyes found Eric's for the briefest moment, and I caught the tiniest head nod from the Viking. I could tell Pam was covering for Eric, and even thought I didn't have any real contempt towards Bill, I was personally all for it at the moment

"It's true." Eric hurriedly agreed, not wanting to see his child in more pain. "He's gone missing."

The magister turned his head in Eric's direction, a look of intrigue on his face.

"You've seen yourself how he betrays our kind for personal gain. I believe he is behind this, and I am gathering evidence to bring to you." Eric's eyes glanced at Pam before back down at the magister, who was a good foot shorter. "Now let me finish my work."

The magister contemplated what Eric said before turning back towards Pam. I was sure every single vampire in this bar could hear my quickening pulse, the fear that emitted off of me.

"They say the loss of a child is the deepest of despairs." The magister moved the silver at the end of his cane towards Pam, causing her to flinch. "Two days Mr. Northman or she dies a true death. As will your little pet."

My heart just about stopped when the attention of the vampires turned back onto me. Godric tensed beside me, one hand tightly gripping my arm.

"She has no part of this." Eric shook his head. "Neither does Pam."

"I think keeping both of them would give you enough incentive." The magister waved a hand and every vampire besides the ones holding Pam, began towards me. "Step aside Godric, unless you would like to lose your child."

Godric didn't move an inch, but once the magister threatened to do the same thing to Eric that he had done to Pam, Godric had no choice. I didn't blame him. Eric was his child, his own blood. They had roamed this earth for 1000 years. They had a deeper bond than I would probably ever have with a single person. If I was in his position, I would have done the exact thing. I could see the remorse and pain in his blue green eyes as he turned towards me as he stepped away. I could feel tears in my eyes, but I nodded in assurance that I was going to be okay.

As the vampires grew closer, slowing closing me in, I tried to think of a plan. Like Eric had taunted, these vampires could move faster than it would take for me to think about using my powers. I had to not think. I had to just act on instinct. I wasn't sure if anything would even happen, but once one vampire was within a foot of me, I knew I needed to do something. I couldn't just stand there and expect to live to tell the tale of what could possibly occur in the next two days. Pam was a vampire, she could endure much more than I, a simple human, could. I would have no chance. If they took me, I was as good as dead.

So I couldn't let them take me.

I acted without a single thought, raising both of my hands to either side of my body in a halt position like I had done to Eric only days ago. The vampires sneered at me when nothing happened. My eyes grew wide in fear as I realized that my powers weren't working like they should. When the first vampire had their hands on me, that was when I freaked. I tried physically fighting back, but that was just stupid. It was useless to try and fight against a vampire that had more strength in their pinkie than I did in my entire body. I was completely defenceless as the vampires grabbed whatever part of me that they could.

"Let her go!" Eric growled.

"Do I have to remind you who you are talking to, Mr. Northman?" The magister waved another hand, and without further ado, the fangs sunk into the skin from every direction.

I screamed out in pain as the fans pierced whatever body part that the vampires could find; my neck, my shoulders, my wrists, and everything in between. It was worst than any time Eric, or even Godric, had ever bitten me. This was just torturous. I was blinded by the pain as my body betrayed me and began crumpling to the ground. I could feel myself starting to lose conscious as the vampires sucked at the blood, growing hungrier and more vicious at every drop of blood they tasted. Black dots started to invade my vision, and I knew that this may very well be the last time I was conscious. I was starting to sway forwards, but before I could even hit the ground, a flash of fiery red light suddenly enveloped me. Everything was hazy, and it could have been a hallucination for all I knew. But I watched as this light began growing larger and larger, and the minute the light touched the vampires draining me, they would let out screams of pain and scramble away, burns on their bodies. I didn't have a chance to see what happened next however, as my eyes clamped shut, the world turning black.

* * *

**A/N:** I clearly have a lot of inspiration lol. i've done so much writing lately that I've lost track lol. Ellie is finally starting to stand up for herself, not letting Eric bully her around. especially with that no sex rule, that will really get Eric pissed off. but of course, the stupid Magister has to come in right when she was getting into telling them off. some more look at her mysterious powers, the secret about the phoenixes being revealed in the next chapter or so.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:**

I thought I was dead. I honestly did. There was a bright light that shined over me, so bright to the point that I was blinded. Nothing hurt, which was surprising considering the pain I had been in before I fell unconscious. Maybe this was heaven. Maybe I had died and was now joining my family finally. I couldn't say I was upset, it would be nice to escape the pain. But I was fearful of what would happen to Eric. Even now, as I drifted peacefully, all I could think about was that darn Viking vampire. He was always swimming in my thoughts, even if he wasn't welcomed. I wanted to forget all about him, to move on. But I just couldn't. He was always on my mind; he was the one person who I always went back to.

I let out a groan as I was suddenly thrown out of the peaceful drifting and pulled back down to reality. The pain erupted, my eyes flying open. I gasped and shot straight up. I stared down at my arms and was sickened to see the blood encasing the tanned skin. My stomach churned as I raised a hand up to my neck, finding the sticky dried substance of blood still there. I gulped as I looked around at where I was, scared for a moment that I was in the Magister's clutches. But I wasn't. I was in my room at Eric's, safe and sound. Or at least, that was what I hoped.

Despite the amount of pain I was in, and the energy that was wiped clean from the impressive amount of power I had used (which I was going to question Godric about the moment I saw him), I threw my legs over the side of the bed and shakily stood. It took me a moment to get my balance, but I slowly began shifting towards the door and out of the room. My feet were dragging, as my legs could barely move, but I was determined to find someone, anyone to answer my questions. How had I gotten out of the club, were the others okay? Was Pam alive? Was Eric? Maybe this was all just a dream, or maybe this was just hell. I didn't know, and wouldn't until I found someone in this house. There had to at least be someone around.

I let out a sigh of relief when I heard Eric and Godric's hushed voices on the ground level. I stopped by the stairs, letting my body rest against the wall while keeping me blocked from their view. I let my eyes close as I listened to their conversation at the bottom of the stairs.

"Is going to Mississippi and seeking Russell's aid the best idea?" Godric questioned.

"It's the only way." Eric sounded as if he wasn't completely there. "He's powerful, and if Bill has gone missing in his region, than he would be obliged to help search for him. We need Bill, or else we can kiss our lives goodbye. All of ours."

I heard Godric sigh, and I felt my own pulse quicken at that statement.

"He wields werewolves, Eric. He could be the one sending the Were's after Elizabeth."

"I'm aware of that."

My eyes were just about bulging out of my head. Eric wanted to go to the vampire that was more than likely the one behind the werewolf attacks? There couldn't be that many vampires around that would willingly consult with werewolves, they didn't exactly like even thinking about the other mystical creatures. So why would Eric want to go there, even if it was to find Bill? It sounded like suicide to me. This Russell guy would obviously use Eric to get to me, or something of the sort. Was I the only one to think of this?

"We need Bill. This is the only way. I can take care of myself. You and Ellie however...after what just occurred, your lives are in more danger than mine is." Eric's voice grew soft, and I had to strain to even hear him.

"I'll protect her with my life."

"It won't be enough." Eric sighed. "This is the magister we're talking about. He'll go to any lengths to make sure she is dead. The same will be for you as you took her and left the bar. In his eyes, you're both fugitives."

Oh how fucking fantastic, I was a fugitive and I didn't even initially do anything wrong. So not only did I have Jeffrey and those werewolves after me, but now I had the magister and his vampires searching for Godric and I. Could my life get any more complicated? I felt like I was living the life of a character in a move or novel. How could my reality be much more complicated and crazy than the movies you would see in the theatre? It was surreal. Maybe I should have stayed in Bon Temps, than I wouldn't have been dragged into a problem that had nothing to do with me.

"You need to seek protection from the Queen."

"Sophie-Anne, am I correct?" Godric asked.

"You are."

"If I remember correctly, she was rather eccentric. Does her child, Andre, still live?"

"Yes, I don't think they've ever parted."

Seriously, there were multiple different people after us, and they were down there having a nice pleasant conversation about old friends? What the hell! I almost wanted to stomp down those stairs and beat on both of them. What idiots!

"Once she knows what Ellie is, she'll want to keep her to herself." Eric stated. "She'd do whatever she can to keep her away from the magister, and could even protect her from Russell."

"I don't disagree."

"Her home is heavily guarded; Ellie will be safe there until I've been able to locate Bill."

"Yes, it seems to be the only way, doesn't it?" Godric sighed loudly. "I'm worried about you going to Russell, my child."

"I must. It's the only way. I can take care of myself, Godric. I must do this, for all of our sakes."

I almost wanted to cry. He wanted to throw himself at Russell, the one who now I could see as the only possible vampire to be behind all of my attacks, just so he can protect us all. Maybe that cold hearted vampire did care. Or maybe he was just doing this all for himself and Pam. But he sounded as if he was going to any lengths to make sure I was safe, even to send me to the...Queen? Who I thought was involved with all of this V mess. It didn't exactly sound like a good idea, especially since Eric mentioned the Queen wouldn't want to give me up once she knew what I was. Hell, I didn't even know what I was. I certainly didn't want someone to think they could lock me up to use me whenever. But as the two seemed to be making decisions about my future without consulting me, I didn't have much choice.

Or did I?

Forgetting about the pain for a moment, I inhaled sharply and moved around the wall to step down the first stair. The sound alone must have alerted the two to my appearance, as their conversation ceased immediately and they stared up at me. Godric was before me in a flash, his arm around my waist as his other hand was on my cheek.

"You should be resting." Godric urged.

"You can't go." I ignored Godric and looked over his shoulder at Eric. "You can't Eric. It's suicide."

There was a flash of surprise in his eyes before he masked the emotion. "Eavesdropping isn't polite."

"Neither is making decisions for someone." I shot back. "I don't want to go to this Queen for protection. And I don't want you to go to Mississippi, Eric. If this guy is the one controlling the werewolves, than he has to be working with Jeffrey. He wants me, and if you show up, then what if..." I felt a lump rise in my throat. I never knew just how much I actually did care about this stupid Viking until I thought about possibly losing him. "What if he kills you?"

Eric didn't speak right away, his eyes boring into mine. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, and I didn't even try to hide them. He was a pain in the ass, a jerk, and a world class bastard, but I still couldn't let him walk into a death sentence. I couldn't lose him, not like that. He was _my_ Viking. Even if this was out of an act of protecting me, I couldn't let him do it. I had deep feelings for Eric, even if I tried to deny them. They were there and they were heavy on my heart every single day. I didn't understand them for a minute, but that didn't mean they weren't there. They were so there that it pained me. I liked him, I...I just might love him. He might not feel the same way in return, actually I was pretty certain that he didn't, but that didn't change how I felt for a minute. I don't know what I would do if Eric was killed. I didn't even want to think about it. Eric Northman was not someone I was okay with losing. I was far from okay with it.

"He won't. I'll be fine." He assured, though I could see his own doubt through the cracks of his emotional mask.

"You don't know that." My voice was barely above a whisper as a tear slipped down my cheek. "He could. He knows where I am, who I'm with. He'll know you right away."

"I'll be fine." His voice was louder this time. "I'm not worried about myself, neither should you."

"How can you say that?" I wiped the tear away, not even noticing that Godric had dropped his hand from my cheek. "How can I not be worried about you? You were an idiot and let the Queen get you into this mess. Bill probably doesn't know a thing about this, and you're only using him to save your own ass. So how can I not be worried, Eric, you clearly don't have the best judgement."

If I had normally said that, he would have snapped and attacked me. I even braced myself for it. But it never came. Instead, he strode right on up the stairs until he was beside me. Godric had dropped his arm and took a few steps down the stairs, giving us some space. I stared up at the tall vampire, another tear sliding down my cheek. Eric's hand reached up to wipe it away before cupping my cheek.

"I don't want you to die." My voice threatened to crack.

"I'm not about to go anywhere." His thumb began caressing my cheek softly, brushing away any tears that would slip down my cheek. "Do you trust me Ellie?"

I opened my mouth, but wasn't sure how to answer that question. Did I trust him? It seemed so odd to even think about saying yes. He had bitten me countless of times, almost drained me a handful of them. He had caused me pain, both physical and emotional, and had been the vain of my existence for months. I could have done with Eric Northman in my life. But did I completely distrust him? He had been the one to save me multiple times from the fellowship, and saved me from my own dreams even more times than that. He had bitten me, yes, but he had yet to kill me. He may have come close, but he hadn't yet gone too far. He could have killed me countless of times, but never had. He had cared for me when I got shot, and again after Jeffrey had attacked me in Fangtasia. He had done so many unforgivable things, but yet, the times he had cared, had saved my life, seemed to outweigh the bad. So did I trust him? Did I trust his word that he could keep not only me safe, but the others as well?

"Do you trust me?" He repeated the question.

I swallowed hard, but knew the answer. "Yes."

"Then you need to listen to what I ask you to do. For once, just do as I say without questioning it. I'm doing all of this to save our lives."

I stared up at him for what felt like forever. I trusted him, but could I just do whatever he asked me to? Was that a smart thing to do, considering his bright ideas and judgement?

"Ellie?" he ducked his head down until his lips were only an inch from mine. "Trust me."

I sighed, my eyes closing, wishing I could close the gap between our lips. "Just please, don't get yourself killed."

"No one will be." He assured, his lips pressing lightly against mine before he straightened and looked over his shoulder at Godric. "You and Ellie must leave tonight. You need to arrive in New Orleans before dawn."

"We won't make it in time." I pointed out. "I have no idea what time it is, but it'll take a good couple of hours to drive there."

"There are other means of getting there." Godric stepped back up the stairs. "We'll make it in time, have no fear."

"That's all I seem to have nowadays." I muttered.

"You're going to be fine, Ellie." Eric kept his hand on my cheek in a comforting manner. "Trust me."

"I trust you, I'm just worried." I gazed up at him. "Promise me that in two days, we're all going to be back here and everything is going to be fine. Promise me that Eric."

He looked unsure at first, which didn't give me much hope. But then he surprised me with what came out of his mouth.

"Elizabeth Cole," he held my cheeks in both of his hands, his voice soft as he lowered his head back down to my level. "I promise you that in two days, we're going to reunite and everything will be back to normal. And then you will lift this ridiculous no sex ban and I will ravish you until you can't even speak. I promise you that."

I was speechless. Partly because of his words, but also for the way he had said them. I had never heard him speak so softly in such a caring manner. I felt like I could believe him, and it wasn't even because he was trying to glamour me. I trusted Eric with my life; I just hope that by believing this, that it would come true.

"I'll call Sophie-Anne and inform her of your arrival. She'll also need to know what she is." Eric spoke to Godric, his hands falling to his sides.

"She gets to find out what I am before I even do?" I raised an eyebrow.

Eric shot me a look before sending a knowing look at Godric. "She needs to know Godric. I could tell her, but this is your story."

Godric sighed but nodded. Eric laid a soft kiss on my forehead before beginning down the stairs, off to make arrangements while Godric and I stood on the stairs alone.

"Godric?" I prompted.

"You need to know." He nodded. "Shall we return to your room, you'll need to rest if we're going to be journeying to New Orleans shortly."

"You're actually going to tell me?" I sounded surprised.

"I can tell you what I can, and what I think you need to know." He agreed, motioning me up the step. "Shall we?"

I nodded and stepped back up onto the landing. I felt Godric's hand on the mid of my back, leading me down the hallway to my room. I was nervous about what Godric was going to tell me. I had been waiting for this moment for days, for weeks, even months, but the moment that it came, part of me just wanted to crawl under the covers and never leave. I don't know why the prospect of finally finding out what I was was scary, but it was. I was still trying to deal with the fact that I was a telekinetic. To find out I was something else, something big, it scared the hell out of me. But I needed to know, it was imperative to my safety that I did. Clearly there was something more than my telekinesis powers going on, as was displayed tonight in Fangtasia. It was inevitable that I had to find out; I was just hoping it would be something that wouldn't alter my life too much. I don't think I could take being more of a freak.

Once we reached my room, I slid into the bed, curling up and pated the spot beside me. Godric looked hesitant, but nodded and placed himself beside me on the bed, though he made sure to keep a good distance between us. At least he was taking this whole no sex rule to heart. I appreciated that. It wasn't that I didn't want to jump him and Eric every chance that I could, because I desperately wanted to do so. But right now, I didn't need sex and confusing feelings clouding my judgement. My life, and now the lives of the three vampires that were like an estranged family, were hanging in the balance.

"Have I ever told you how I was turned?"

I turned to look at Godric. "Not really. You just said you were nearly dead when your maker turned you."

Godric nodded, a pained look appearing on his face. "I was forced into slavery in my human years, as was my family. I had planned to escape so I could help them in return. However, I was beaten and nearly killed in the process."

My eyes widened at hearing the account of what occurred 2000 years ago.

"I laid in amongst the woods, dying, when my maker came upon me. He had watched me escape, watched me survive the terror. He had offered me an eternity of strength and power." Godric bowed his head. "I was furious at those that enslaved me and my family. I wanted my family, and I wanted to enact revenge against those that had caused us so much misery and pain."

"So you were turned." I nodded in understanding.

"I was. My maker, Julius, was only a few centuries old when he turned me, but he was wise, a warrior. He taught me more than I could have imagined." Sadness crossed his expression now. "I wanted to return to rescue my family, but Julius kept me away, to teach me all that he could before I travelled back to those lands. It wasn't for a few years until I made way back, by myself."

"What happened to your maker?" I asked carefully.

Godric inhaled sharply, the pain in his eyes making it seem as if this only had occurred yesterday. I laid my hand on his, giving him an encouraging smile. He had been there for every horrible part of my life in the past year; it was only fair that I was here when he needed me.

"He was killed during a raid of a village. We were residing nearby a small village where we would feed every night. The villagers grew suspicious and they attacked. Julius ordered me to go while he fought them off. He was much like Eric in a way, very stubborn and overly confident. It was for that reason that he died. I had only been a vampire for two years when it occurred."

"Oh I'm sorry Godric." I squeezed his hand. I couldn't imagine what it must have been like. It was like losing a parent in a way I suppose. A maker gives you a second life, rebirths you. There's a connection between a maker and their child that I couldn't fathom. I couldn't imagine what Eric would have gone through if Godric had met the sun on the top of that rooftop in Dallas. I knew what it was like to lose parents, a brother, and that was the worst pain imaginable. Losing a maker, or even a child, had to of been just as bad, if not worse.

"It was a long time ago." Godric shook his head, as if ridding himself of the thoughts.

"So, you went back to get your family?" I made sure to change the course of discussion, the pain in his eyes breaking my heart.

"I did." He nodded. "However, when I arrived, I found that they had just been attacked."

"Oh no! Did they..."

"They did not." Godric paused, his eyes closing. We remained silent for a few moments, Godric remembering the past, and me just sitting there trying to comfort him. I know reliving the moments when I found out my parents were truly gone, it was horrible. I couldn't imagine going 2000 years with that knowledge and memories. "There were no survivors, except for one."

I squeezed his hand, letting him know that I was here. He opened his eyes and turned his head towards me, offering a tiny smile. I laid my head on his shoulder, pulling myself closer to the vampire. His body seemed to relax at my touch and I gladly did whatever I could to ease this for him. I felt like it was my fault he had to relive these horrible memories, just to tell me the story of what I was, though I wasn't sure what this had to do with me.

"The survivor was a girl," Godric continued after a moment. "I hadn't known her when I was a slave, but the moment I laid my eyes on her, I was enchanted. She was nearing death, bleeding out of every pore. It was difficult...I had not learned how to control my hunger, and the smell of her blood was intoxicating. Much like yours is. I wanted nothing more than to drain her, to taste her blood."

"A-and did you?" I asked.

"No." Godric surprised me by saying. "I wanted to, but the moment I was close to her, when I looked into her beautiful eyes, I felt the hunger pass."

"How is that possible?"

"To this day I'm not even sure." He admitted. "I felt an overwhelming feeling of desire, not only just for her blood, but for her. I pulled her out of the carnage and to safety, where I fed her my blood, creating my first bond with a human. It took her many days to heal. On the third night when I rose, she was roaming the site in the woods where we were. When I set my eyes on her, she was even more enchanting that when I found her."

I gazed up at Godric when he stopped talking, and was taken back by the look on his face. It was one of pure love. Whoever this girl was, she had stolen the heart of the vampire beside me.

"You loved her." I mused.

"I did. The moment our eyes locked, I loved her. I never knew a vampire could feel such love for an individual, but for her, I felt more human than I ever had."

"Did she know what you were?" I wondered.

"She did." He nodded.

"Was she afraid?"

The smallest smile fell over his face. "Much like you, she was not. She walked right up to me and asked me what I was. When I told her, she asked to see my fangs."

I couldn't help but laugh slightly. It was the exact thing I had asked when I first found out Godric was a vampire.

"She was never afraid of me, even though I had given her every reason to be so."

"You're not as scary as you think you are." I stared up at him.

"I was, I killed many people in front of her, both to save her life and for me to survive. There were many times I killed out of revenge, or just for the thrill." He replied sadly. "I was a much different vampire back then, you must remember."

I nodded, but just couldn't believe Godric could be as ruthless as he made himself out to be.

"She never left me however. She remained with me, with her angel of mercy as she referred to me as for many years."

"So I'm not the only one who calls you their angel." I smiled.

"You're not." He smiled in return.

"What did she look like?" I asked, curious about the girl who had caused this vampire to love.

Godric closed his eyes, though his smile widened as he remembered her. "She had the most brilliant green eyes, the colour of the trees we spent many nights around. They were vibrant with life, glowing almost. She was not much taller than you are, the same age I had been when I was turned. She was beautiful. She was an angel in my mind."

"She sounds beautiful." I agreed.

Godric's eyes opened and they peered down at me, his head tilting to the side as he cupped my cheek.

"You are just as beautiful."

I rolled my eyes. "I doubt it."

"You are, as you should considering you look exactly like her."


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

"What. The. Fuck." I stared at Godric completely gobsmacked. "WTF!"

"I'm not sure I completely understand." Godric titled his head to the side.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you don't, you're a 2000 year old vampire."

"Elizabeth..."

"How the hell do I look like her?" I cut him off, desperately trying not to freak out. Oh wait, too late, I _was_ freaking out!

"I'm not entirely sure how you've come to look exactly like her. Though her hair was a vibrant red." He added as an afterthought, as if that would make this seem a lot less crazy.

"So you're telling me that you have no idea how I look like this girl that you loved nearly 2000 years ago?" Yeah I was officially freaking out. I pushed myself away from Godric and jumped off the bed, my breathing growing rapid. Godric looked to stand, but I held my hand out to stop him. I was amazed to find that he was frozen to the spot. And not just because I had asked him to not stand, he was literally stuck to the bed. My eyes grew as wide as saucers as I turned my hand around, gazing at it as I stepped back from the bed. I was amazed; how in the world had I been able to do that? This was just like when I had thrown Eric across Sookie's yard without even a second thought of my powers. Was I just becoming more confident, or were these powers that I never knew I possessed before?

"Perhaps we should get you cleaned up. We'll need to leave for New Orleans shortly." Godric suggested, and I could see that he was trying his hardest to move. "Elizabeth, you can cease your powers now."

"I-I don't know how." I whispered, my eyes still staring down at my hand as if it had turned green.

"Just close your eyes and breathe. Relax." He instructed, as if he had done this a thousand times.

I swallowed hard but nodded, closing my eyes. I inhaled through my nose, letting out a deep breath from my mouth. I did this a few times before imagining Godric able to move. I wasn't sure it worked until I felt a sudden gust of wind and a hand on my cheek. I slowly opened my eyes, uncertainty lying in them as I stared up into Godric's blue green orbs.

"You're growing more powerful by the day." He mused, though it sounded more like he was speaking to himself than to me.

"Godric?" I snapped him out of it. "How do I look like her?"

He sighed as his thumb began caressing my cheek. I would be lying if I said I didn't like it. It was so soothing, and even with the electric shocks that shot through us, it felt like the most comfortable thing in the world. That was just another mystery adding to the fire. What in the world was I, and what the hell could I do? Everything was such a mystery, one that I just wanted to be solved. I was tired of not knowing what was going on around me. I was beginning to grow scared of myself, not sure what new powers I would possess next. What if I couldn't control them and I hurt someone I cared about? I would never forgive myself if that happened.

"We need to leave, dawn is approaching." His hand dropped down to his side as he took a step back.

"But you never told me what I was." I shook my head. "Or how I look like her? Godric you have to tell me."

"We need to leave." He turned his back on me. "Get cleaned up quickly and get dressed, preferably in something nice. The Queen has high standards."

"Godric." I went to grab his arm, but my fingers were only met with air as he sped from the room. I sighed, gazing down at my feet as I tried my best not to cry. My emotions were on a rollercoaster. I was almost captured and killed by the magister, I had an estranged vampire and werewolves after me for whatever reason, my powers were growing by the day and I had no way to stop them, and now I looked like some girl from Godric's long past. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could possibly take.

* * *

When I left the shower, I found a dress laying on my bed and a blonde Viking sitting beside it. I squeaked in surprise, holding the towel even tighter against my body. I was expecting him to flash me his usual smug smirk and tug the towel away. But he didn't. He only looked sombre, something I wasn't used to seeing from the vampire.

"Eric?" I asked softly, taking a tentative step forward.

He held out his hand and I stared at it for a long minute before I hesitantly took it. He stood and pulled me closer, though he kept a good foot in between us. His long fingers intertwined with mine as he leaned down, his nose nuzzling into my long wet hair. He inhaled, letting out a growl before kissing my neck softly. I shuddered but didn't say a word as he straightened and stared down at me with the same sombre expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He turned his head towards the dress. "A gift, for causing you so much pain."

"Eric..." I reached a hand up to cup his cheek, turning his head back down towards me. "Why are you acting like this might be the last time we see each other? You promised me that..."

"I know what I promised." He leaned his head into my touch. "However, I cannot predict the future."

"Everything is going to be okay." I stated determinedly. "You are going to go to Mississippi and find Bill and bring him back. I don't know what's going to happen to him, but you and Pam are going to be perfectly fine. Godric and I are going to go to this Queen, she's going to gush about whatever it is that I am, and she's going to protect me. In two days, we're going to be right back here."

He stared down at me for a long moment before speaking. "You're not afraid."

"I'm tired of being afraid."I shrugged. "I'm tired of fearing for my life every single friggin day. For once I just want to be able to step outside of this house and not have to look over my shoulder for the next threat." I sighed as I went to move my hand away, but he stopped me by laying his hand upon mine. "We're going to be fine Eric. You're going to go do your thing and everything is going to be fine."

"You're stronger than I give you credit for." He titled his head to the side.

"You haven't given me much credit." I pointed out. "I'm not a fragile little girl. I think I've proven that tonight."

"You are most definitely a powerful little thing." He agreed, his arm sliding around my waist and pulling me up against him. "You just need to know how to wield that power."

"Which would be easier if I knew what I was."

"Godric never told you?" Eric frowned.

"No. He stopped at the whole, I love like his former lover, part." I pursed my lips in agitation. "Can't you just tell me what I am?"

"It's his story." He shook his head. "Though I am getting intrigued as to why he's putting it off."

"I don't care. I just want to know what I am." I muttered, my anger starting to rise.

"You will soon enough." He assured. "You need to get dressed."

I gazed down at the dress, and was surprised to find that it was actually a bit modest. It was a soft peach coloured dress that appeared tight in the bodice but flowed from the waist. I had to admit that it looked pretty, something I didn't think Eric would ever deem appropriate. He seemed to rather sexier garments.

"Pam picked it out."

"That would make sense." I chuckled, carefully picking the dress up. "It's nice."

"It's good enough for the Queen." Eric stepped away, though his hand came up to the top of the towel.

"No sex, remember Eric." I smacked his hand away, smiling up at the blonde.

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "That rule is ridiculous."

I snickered. "You may be a vampire, but you're such a typical man; can't keep it in your pants."

"You don't want me to." He smirked.

"Maybe." I winked before pushing at his chest. "I need to get changed."

"Then get changed." He crossed his arms, not moving a muscle to leave the room.

"Oh you're such an ass." I stuck my tongue out at him before turning around so my back was facing his smirking form. I let the towel drop from around me to pool at my feet as I figured out how to put the dress on. The bodice was almost like a corset and unfortunately would need help being done up. I slipped into the dress anyways, making sure I was at least covered before gazing at Eric from over my shoulder. "You can do it up, but no touching or groping."

His smirk widened as he stepped forward, his cold hands on my back. I jumped as he moved them down to my waist, his fingers inching beneath the fabric.

"Eric!"

"Fine fine." He grunted, pulling his hands back up to the bodice and tightly doing it up.

"Ugh, I'm not a vampire Eric, I actually require breathing." I groaned as he tugged the bodice extremely tight.

"Quiet."

I tapped my foot impatiently, which only caused him to pull it tighter before doing it up completely. I turned to give him a glare, but was stopped when I caught sight of Godric in the doorway. Whatever happyish mood I had been in was completely evaporated when I saw him. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the older vampire, not pleased at all that he had just walked away when I questioned about what I was. Oh and how the hell I looked anything like this former love of his. That would be awesome to know.

"We need to leave." Godric stated, a blank expression on his face.

"Fine. Give us a minute." I snapped back.

Eric raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word as Godric sighed before vanishing. I breathed in and out deeply for a moment, keeping my emotions in check. I didn't even realize Eric was as close as he was until I felt his cool lips on my jaw. I closed my eyes as I just stood there enjoying his closeness, wondering if this would indeed be the last time we would be together.

No. I couldn't think like that. As much as Eric drove me insane, I didn't want to lose him. Everything was going to be fine. In two days we would all come back here and enjoy our lives; our quiet lives. That was that. There was no room to think in any other way.

"Two days is a long time." He murmured, his lips inching closer to mine.

"It's only 48 hours. It's actually rather short."

He snickered as his lips grazed mine, casing me to moan softly. Damn him for getting me all riled up when I was supposed to be strong and enforce this 'no sex' rule. Why did this damn vampire have to be so downright sexy?

"I-I have to go." I snapped myself out of it before his lips could press down upon mine. My eyes popped open and I stepped to the side, passing Eric to leave the room.

"If this is the last time I see you..." Eric grabbed onto my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.

"It won't be." I interrupted him, turning around to face him. "Two days Eric. I'll see you in two days. Now go and find Bill, for all of our sakes. And if you happen to kill a few werewolves, then the world will be a better place."

The corners of his lips were slowly curling upwards, making me smile myself. Against my better judgement, I stepped forward, stood on the tip of my toes, and placed my hands on either side of Eric's face. I tugged his head down before planting a kiss on his lips. It wasn't sweet; it wasn't the last kiss we'd ever have. It was the kiss that made both of us want more, giving us a reason to make sure we were alive in two days. Once the kiss was over, I smiled up at him and took a good step back.

"I'll see you in two days, Eric Northman. Do not get yourself killed or come up with anymore idiotic ideas. I want to have one day where I'm not fearing for my life or fearing for yours. So please just be safe." I gave him a pleading look

"Keep yourself out of trouble."

"I will if you will."

He rolled his eyes but nodded all the same.

"48 hours and counting." I turned around and began towards the door once again. I stopped once I reached the doorway and glanced over my shoulder at the Viking. "Maybe in two days I'll lift that ridiculous no sex rule of mine and I'll let you ravish me. Maybe."

I took a mental picture of that lustful smirk on his face before turning and beginning out of the room and down the hall. I was really hoping that in two days, I really could lift that rule, even if it was just for a few hours. Because that would mean that we were all alive and okay.

How hard would it be to stay alive for two days anyways?

* * *

It was a wonderful thing I didn't have a fear of heights because apparently the only way to get to New Orleans in such a short time, was to fly. And I didn't mean a nice airplane trip; oh no, this was actual flying. When Godric informed me on the travel arrangements, I spent a good ten minutes refusing and complaining. I was surprised at how patient Godric was as I stomped my foot on the ground, acting like a five year old and almost stomped right back into the house. That is, until he blocked my path with his damn super speed. We argued for another five minutes until he finally grew frustrated and literally threw me over his shoulder and took off into the air. I kicked and screamed for the longest time until Godric dug his fingers into my leg so tightly I was sure his grip was cutting off my circulation. I grew silent, all while freezing my ass off. I wasn't exactly thinking I would be flying up in the air in the middle of fall. Even if it was Louisiana, it wasn't the warmest place in the world. It was cool, especially at this latitude and in a dress. I was surely going to freeze to death before we even got there.

I was surprised when Godric landed in the middle of a park, placing me back on the ground softly. The moment I felt my feet touch the ground, I slammed a fist into his chest. I knew it wouldn't hurt him at all, but it made me feel slightly better.

"Was that really needed?" I glared at him as I rubbed my hands on my arms, trying to get the feeling back in them.

Godric didn't say a word as he moved closer, causing me to take a step back.

"We can't be there already." I crossed my arms. "It's almost dawn. We should get going before you get burned up by the sun. Though I'm sure you would just _love_ that."

It took me a minute to register the full effect of my words. Once I saw the hurt cross his face, his head bowing, I wanted to kick myself.

"Godric, I didn't mean that. I'm just..."

"It's fine." His voice was soft. "I was concerned you were too cold and thought it would be appropriate to stop."

Now I felt like a complete ass. He was worried about my well being and I threw the whole Dallas rooftop thing in his face. Sure I was pissed at him for not finishing the story and telling me what I was, but that didn't mean I had to say what I had.

"I'm a little cold, yeah." I mumbled, running a hand through my hair. "But it doesn't matter. It's almost dawn. I don't want you to..."

"Then we'll continue."

"Godric I didn't..."

"It's fine Elizabeth." His tone was pure ice. "Would you rather I carry you?"

"Won't your arms hurt?" I question.

He raised his head to give me an odd look. "No."

"Oh." I almost felt like I wanted to cry. This night was not going at all like I planned. And I still had a Queen to meet. "That would be okay."

He stepped forward and in one swift movement, had me in his arms. I held onto him tightly, my eyes closing as I dug my head into the crook of his neck before he took back off into the night.

"I am sorry Godric." I whispered, and even though Godric was moving faster than a human could ever move, I knew he had heard me.

He didn't respond, though he did tighten his grasp on me, pulling me closer against him. I tried to become comfortable in his arms for the remaining of the trip, though it wasn't exactly hard. I would always feel comfortable with Godric. That could have been because of the same freaky reason I looked exactly like his former love, or just because we had grown close on our own accord. Either way, I didn't want to lose Godric. We may fight, or get annoyed with each other, but at the end of the day, he was still that angel who had saved me from death far too many times than I could count. And that meant more to me than some mystical reason for what I was.

* * *

**A/N:** I should be paying attention in politics class, but I decided to edit and post this instead. so a different side of Eric here. because the cold hearted bastard can't be mean all the time, even he knows there's limitations to his immortality. I remember the episode of True Blood when he and Sookie kiss, he looked to vulnerable and sad at the prospect that he might die. so Godric still won't tell her what she is (i know, I'm evil for putting it off on the explanation). The Queen comes in in the next chapter. I'm mixing the books and the show together for everything surrounding the Queen. I like different aspects about both sides of Sophie-Anne so I'm going to try and blend them together. some of the characters mentioned are also in the books, but i'll point those out as I go along. I'm gonna be crazy studying this weekend and doing a bunch of assignments, so this might be the last chapter till mid next week. I might get the next chapter out, but no promises.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen:**

"Do you hate me for what I said?" I chewed on my bottom lip as Godric led the way through the nearly empty streets of New Orleans.

He didn't say a word as we turned a corner, the sky turning a shade of blue just off in the distance. He began to pick up speed, causing me to have to jog just to keep up with him. I knew what I had said hurt him. It was a classic case of open mouth, insert foot disease. It was tactless, and I wished I could go back in time and take what I said back. I hated the awkward silence. I didn't want to fight anymore. I just wanted this whole mess to be over and done with. I want the two days to be over and I want to be back in Shreveport where my biggest problem would be trying to figure out who I wanted to have ravish me more. This was just brutal. I was running for my life, and my fellow fugitive didn't even want a thing to do with me.

"Godric, look I'm sorry. It just came out, I didn't mean it." I tried to reason with him, reaching my hand out to touch his arm. Godric was too quick however, even when he was only going at human speed, and I was met with only air. Of course, I was a natural clutz, and my foot caught a crack in the sidewalk, tripping me and sending me to the cement. I grunted as I caught myself with my hands, thankful that I didn't scrap myself too badly. Though as I looked down at the bottom of the dress, I was saddened to find strands frayed and even a few rips from the rocks and rough sidewalk. "Of course, what else could possible go wrong tonight?"

I sat back, not caring about the dress any longer. It was already dirty, might as well just make it even worse. I was having too bad of a night to possibly care what the Queen might think. In fact, I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to go the rest of the way. I was going to be looked at and prodded like a piece of meat for some reason that I wasn't even sure about because Godric never actually told me what I was. I was tired, my body still ached from earlier, and I just wanted to be in a nice warm bed instead of in New Orleans searching for the Queen of Louisiana.

"Elizabeth, we cannot stop." Godric suddenly appeared beside me, obviously realizing that I had stopped following him.

"Well then you go on and I'll just stay here." I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"Stop acting like a child, Elizabeth." He grabbed me by the arms and hauled me up onto my feet. I stumbled, but he held me in place. I glared up at him, and was surprised to find such an emotionless expression on his face. "We need to continue on."

"I'm tired and I just want to go home." I shook my head. I was acting like a child; I wasn't going to deny that. But after the whirlwind of activity tonight, I think I had a right to act in such a way. When was I going to get the chance to relax, to be able to do anything without having someone dictate my life for me? That was the whole reason I had gone to Bon Temps in the first place. I was really regretting leaving now. Maybe I should have gone with Sookie to Jackson instead; it couldn't have gotten much more complicated than this anyways.

A sudden gust of wind pulled me out of my thoughts, the familiar act of a vampire quickly passing by us. Except it happened multiple times, moving around us in a taunting circle. My breath was caught in my throat as I tried to catch a glimpse of the vampire...or vampires perhaps. Godric's hands tightened on my arms, pulling me up against him in protection as his fangs clicked out. Forgetting the whole reason I didn't want to continue on, my hands clutched at the front of Godric's shirt, the fear shooting through me as the gusts of wind began to die down.

"So this is the delicious creature." A snotty voice sounded from our left.

I gulped as I gazed at a female vampire standing tall only feet away from us, her long blonde hair cascading down her pale figure. Her eyes were narrowed into slits as her tongue ran over her fangs. I shuddered as her eyes roamed up and down me, as if contemplating where to attack first.

"I wonder if she tastes as good as she smells." Another voice snarled from behind Godric.

Agreements came from other vampires, and I knew without even looking that we were surrounded. Yet again, I had multiple vampires waiting to bite me and drain me dry. Just another reason why I was tired of all of this crap.

"It's almost sunrise. You'll be turned to ash before you could even touch her." Godric warned.

"We'll take that chance." I could hear their footsteps growing closer, enclosing us in.

"Godric..." I whimpered into his chest, squeezing my eyes shut as if it would keep me safe.

"I will die before letting any of you harm her." Godric's arms circled around me so tightly I was beginning to worry that he might break a bone. Though, at least I would still be alive then.

"So be it. I've always wanted to kill a 2000 year old vampire." The voice from behind Godric sneered. "Let's make this quick, the sun is rising."

I braced myself for the worst, expecting to be pulled from Godric's grasps. I silently prayed that this would all just be a horrible dream and I would wake up any second now and be in bed at home, waking up from the attack at Fangtasia. I wished that could be the case, that none of this was real. I didn't want to die, not when I was so close to some sort of safety. I had promised, made Eric promise, that in two days we were all going to be back in Shreveport. I couldn't break that promise. I couldn't let the last time I saw that blonde Viking be a moment of sadness and doubt. I had to see him again. I had to make things right with Godric. I had to know what I was. There were too many things that were still unexplained that I just couldn't die now.

I felt hands on my exposed skin, Godric struggling against the vampires that were clawing at both of us. I cried out in pain when a set of sharp nails swiped down my back, breaking the skin and creating bleeding wounds. The dress was just about ruined now, the dress that Eric had given to me as a present. I wasn't sure if it was that thought alone, or hearing Godric's own pain that my body shook viciously with some unknown power. It felt different than what had occurred earlier at the bar when I was protecting myself against the Magister's vampires. This felt like a cool chill was running through my body, bursting out of every muscle and limb. I felt lightheaded, yet the pain of my back barely was there as the shaking grew worse. The vampires stopped around me, frozen as they watched what was happening to me. Godric's arms were slacking from around me, but I kept holding onto him as tightly as I could. There was no sound as a sudden burst of light escaped the closed fists holding onto Godric's shirt. My eyes were still squeezed shut as I dug my head into his chest. I didn't need to see the light to know it was there. I could _feel _everything that was happening around me almost better than I could have even seen it if I had opened my eyes. The light was enveloping both Godric and I now, slowly moving to the other vampires. I heard screams of agony from the lone female of the group before snarls and growls.

"This isn't the end. Russell doesn't give up when he wants something." One growled before I could hear them running off into the distance.

Knowing they were gone, I let my eyes open to stare at what was happening around us. The light was a calm blue, a complete contrast to the blinding red light from earlier. I could spot charred flesh lying on the sidewalk, and I wondered what the light had done. I moved my gaze up to Godric, only to find his eyes closed, his form completely still.

"Godric?" My voice was barely above a whisper. "Godric are you okay?"

"I feel...I feel more alive than I have in many centuries." he spoke, his lips curling upwards as his eyes opened. His gaze met with mine, his hand moving up to cup my cheek. The light was slowly beginning to diminish but it was still surrounding us. I could see the sun beginning to rise out the corner of my eye, and the panic rose in my chest.

"Godric, the sun! We won't make it."

"We will." He assured, sweeping me off of my feet in an instant.

He took off down the street in seconds, using his speed to his advantage. I however, was losing consciousness quickly, the energy I had exerted for the unknown power completely wiping me out. As I closed my eyes, laying my head on Godric's shoulder, the light remained around us as if it were a protective bubble. I could feel the rise of the sun, the heat that was emitting from it. But Godric didn't burn. He did not cry out in pain, I couldn't feel his skin burn. For some reason, that light protected him as he ran through the streets of New Orleans. I wanted to question it, ask Godric how it could possibly be. But before I could form the words, the darkness encircled me, leaving me with so many unanswered questions.

* * *

I felt like I was in some sort of dream like state. I wasn't sure of the time, or where I was, or if I was even alive. But for some reason, I felt completely content. There were no aching limbs, absolutely no pain whatsoever. I felt more alive that I had ever felt, the energy just about bursting from my fingertips. It was the most peaceful I had felt in months. I didn't think it was possible to feel such a way without having to be dead. I almost didn't want to open my eyes. I just wanted to stay in this euphoric ecstasy for as long as I possibly could.

"You do look mighty tasty."

The unfamiliar, and unexpected, female voice jostled me completely out of the state I was in. My eyes snapped open and my body reacted before I could fully prepare myself for the pain I was going to feel. I scrambled as far away as I could from the vampire that sat before me, a bit too close for comfort. My breathing was heavy as my heart raced. It took a minute for the pain to register, and when it did, I was crying out in pain. My head was pounding as if I had been knocked unconscious by a brick repeatedly. It felt like claws were repeatedly swiping my back, the pain unbearable.

"I want to know who tainted my lovely new creature." The vampire stood from the bed I realized I was lying on. "And I want to know now!"

There was movement in the room, but I could barely see a thing from the blinding pain. My eyes were squeezed shut as I whimpered, tears streaming down my face.

"If you'll allow me, Sophie-Anne..."

"Yes, yes Godric, heal her already. I want her perfectly healthy. I won't let my visit with an actual living breathing Phoenix be ruined by a group of rogue vampires from another state."

I barely registered the fact that this was in fact the Queen that was in the room with me, the pain too much. I felt the bed shift under a new source of weight, but I had no energy to pull away.

"Shh, Elizabeth. It's only me." Godric's calming voice whispered in my ear, his lips leaving a kiss on my tear stained cheek. "You'll need to drink my blood, Elizabeth. You won't feel any pain shortly, I promise."

I nodded and let him guide my mouth to his now bleeding wrist. I could do nothing else but hold my mouth open for the blood to cascade down my throat. Godric held my head in his other hand, keeping me from choking on the thick substance. Once enough had been consumed that I was slowly beginning to feel my energy return, the pain slowly dying, I began sucking hungrily at his wrist. Godric had to reopen the wound, but I just went straight back to sucking on it as much as I could, not wanting to waste a drop of blood. I eventually felt the familiar tingle on my back and I knew the wounds had been healed. With the pain barely even a dull thud, I pulled the wrist away from my mouth, my hand wiping away whatever had missed my lips. I felt embarrassed that I had just drank from Godric in front of the Queen, and whoever else was in the room, and kept my gaze on my lap.

"Perfect." The Queen clapped her hands. "Now let's continue this in the lounge. Hadley, go fetch something for our guest to wear."

A mumble sounded from the other side of the room before the door was opened and closed.

"May I have a moment alone with Elizabeth?"

"If you must. Don't keep her all to yourself though, Godric. I'm practically dying with excitement."

"We'll join you shortly, Sophie-Anne."

I waited until I was sure Godric and I were alone before looking up at the vampire. He smiled down at me, one of his hands moving up to wipe away the tears.

"How do you feel?"

"B-better." I nodded. "Where are we?"

"The palace. You fell unconscious just as we were entering through the gates. The Supe guards were amazed that I hadn't burst into flamed yet." Godric chuckled lightly

"H-how?" my eyes were wide as I remember what had happened last night. "What did I do?"

"Your powers are growing stronger by the day. Though they weaken you greatly, especially in your state." He clasped a finger under my chin. "You are much like her."

"Like the girl you loved?"

Godric nodded. "Kyra had the same powers, except for your telekinesis. She had the gift of sight."

"Gift of sight?" I frowned.

"She could see things before they occurred. They often refer to them as Seers now. Though it was only a gift that was heightened by what she truly was."

"Which was what?" I knew that whatever this girl was from Godric's past, it had to be the answer I was looking for. I couldn't just mysteriously look like her for no reason. Everything was starting to fall into place; I just needed the missing puzzle piece. "The Queen, she...she said something about a Phoenix, what did she mean?"

Godric sighed, his eyes straying from mine for a moment. I laid my hand on his cheek, pulling his attention back down to me.

"Godric, please just tell me. We're here now, I need to know. Please. After everything that happened last night, please just tell me before I go insane. I somehow protected myself from two groups of vampires in different ways and caused you not to burn in the sun. I need answers. Please."

He looked like he was going to deflect the question yet again, but after a moment, he sighed heavily and nodded. "I wondered many nights what Kyra was. She showed her extraordinary powers when they were called for. She once saved us from a village that I had killed civilians from. They came to kill me, to watch me burn in the sun. They trapped me with silver, strapping their crucifixes just above my heart. Kyra was bound as well, but it had been her powers that had saved us. The sun was rising, I was burning when suddenly a burst of light emitted from her. The villages were scared; they ran before they could realize that I was no longer burning. I remember the light bringing calmness..."

"Like last night?" I interrupted. "I-I did that last night?"

"You did." He nodded, a smile on his face. "You were very courageous. You were in pain, and yet you used powers you didn't even know about to protect us."

"I don't understand any of this. How? What happened? I'm so confused."

"I know." He laid a soft kiss on my forehead. "I never realized you could have been what Kyra was until I drank your blood that night when Jeffrey came to the house. I could taste the power in you, the same power I had been able to taste in Kyra. Your blood, her blood, it is one of the same. I had never met two individuals before who tasted exactly the same. Not even the same blood type will taste so similar. Everyone has their own distinct taste, and yet, you and Kyra taste exactly the same."

"How do we look the same, Godric? How is that even possible? There's a good 2000 years at most between us!"

He held me up against him, and I briefly wondered if he wished I was Kyra, if I was the girl that he loved all those centuries ago.

"I don't completely understand how, mind you. But I do have my theories."

"And those theories are? You can't keep hiding this stuff from me Godric." I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away slightly. I couldn't be close to him and not know. I needed to know what I was, what everything meant.

Godric opened his mouth the answer, but a knock sounded at the door before it opened to reveal a petite blonde woman who couldn't have been that much older than I was.

"Here you go. I hope it fits." I assumed this was Hadley, who the Queen had ordered to find me something to wear. She attempted a smile before hurrying out of the room.

"You should get dressed." Godric stood off of the bed before we could return to our conversation.

"And you should tell me what's going on, Godric." I crossed my arms. "Please Godric, I think I deserve to know."

"The Queen doesn't like to be kept waiting." Godric refused to look me in the eye as he moved to the door. "I'll just be outside the door."

"Godric!"

"I would suggest hurrying, Elizabeth." And with that, he was out of the room.

I let out a frustrated growl, grabbing the first thing I could find and threw it at the closed door. The trinket smashed into a million pieces as I just sat there on the bed, fuming. I wished that there wasn't a door in between us so it could have hit Godric instead.

"Elizabeth, get dressed."

"Fuck you, Godric." I shouted back, but stood from the bed and grabbed the dress that had been left for me. I eyed it with dislike, already knowing it was going to be tight on me. Hadley appeared shorter, and much skinnier than I was. I suppose when you were what, the vampire Queen's pet, you didn't exactly have a healthy diet. Sighing, I slipped out of the nightgown I just realized now that I was in, and attempted to pull on the dark purple dress. It was hung lower than I was used to, showing off a good portion of my breasts. It fell just below my bottom, and I was sure if I bent over, everything would be shown off to the world. I pulled it down as far as I could, muttering curses under my breath. The back was barely there, lower than the neckline even was. I would have rather stayed in the nightgown; it covered more than this dress did. But I couldn't exactly refuse to wear the dress.

"I should have taken my chances with the magister." I grumbled before storming to the door and yanking it open. Godric took a step away from the wall, his eyes roaming over me instantly. I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring darkly at him. "Are you going to tell me what I am, or are you really going to make me hear it from the Queen?"

"Elizabeth, I wish to tell you, but the Queen is waiting." Godric couldn't meet my eyes.

"Right." I rolled my eyes. "Just so you know Godric, I will never forgive you for not telling me what I was. That was supposed to be your job from the start, to be honest with me. That's what you always promised. And now I'm going to hear it from some stranger that would probably love nothing more than to just drain me. So thanks Godric, thanks for a whole lot of nothing."

I could feel tears in my eyes as I shook my head and walked passed him. I wasn't sure where I was supposed to go, but I just couldn't stand to look at Godric anymore. I never thought Godric could ever hurt me in such a way. Forget biting me, forget considering meeting the sun without even telling me; this topped everything. I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to forgive him at all after this.

* * *

**A/N: **So its been a little bit since I've updated. I apologize for that. things have been crazy the past few weeks. midterms and assignments, and more midterms (I have one tomorrow morning and I opted to write instead of study...damn Godric for distracting me!) and a trip home for thanksgiving last weekend. not to mention, i just lost inspiration. but, I randomly got inspired today, don't even remember how actually, and bam, got this written. things are getting more interesting now. we're learning more about Kyra, Godric's former love, her powers, and the connection between her and Ellie. though, it seems that Godric's reluctance to tell her is going to ruin their relationship :( all those on Team Eric should be happy tho :p oh and the Queen finally comes into the story. hope you all enjoyed the chapter :)


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen:**

I was absolutely furious as I walked around the New Orleans palace, having no idea where I was going. I just couldn't stop however, I couldn't turn back around in fear that I would do or say something that I would regret. So I left Godric standing in the hallway and I sought out some sort of brief escape from the vampire. I knew I was expected by the Queen, and I should have searched her out, but I just needed a moment alone, a moment to clear my thoughts. That of course would be much easier if my head wasn't swimming in furry. I just couldn't believe that Godric was refusing to tell me what I was. He'd had countless of opportunities and he continues to put it off. Didn't he understand how much that it was hurting me for him to not speak the truth? I was now forced to hear it all by the Queen, a strange vampire that I had never met before, and I wasn't entirely convinced that she wasn't going to just eat me as a snack. This wasn't exactly the way I imagined finding out what in the world I was. Actually, I never imagined I would ever need to find out. I spent my entire life as a normal human with a few dozen hardships. I never would thought that within less than a year, I would get involved with vampires, and find out that I wasn't as normal as I originally thought.

Damn vampires, it always came back to them.

Perhaps I should have just left the Dallas nest after I had healed from that night I first met Godric. Maybe it would have been the smarter choice. Then I wouldn't have been caught up in everything. I never would have been attacked by the fellowship, I never would have met Eric, I never would have found out that I was a telekinetic, I never would have had these near death experiences, and I surely wouldn't have crazed vampires after me. No, sticking around was definitely my downfall. I was stupid to believe that Godric could protect me, to keep me safe. I fell into a certain routine and I let myself become comfortable and accustomed to it. And now look at where I was! I was hiding out from not one group of vampires, but two! Throw in werewolves, and god even knows what else, and I was about ready to ask someone to pinch me to wake me up from this horrible nightmare.

"I can't do this." I muttered to myself as I sighed heavily, running a hand through my tangled hair. "I just want things to go back to being normal."

Of course, that would never happen. I wasn't Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz; I couldn't just tap my heels three times and suddenly wake up in a nice warm bed at home. I wasn't even sure where my home was anymore. Dallas hadn't been a home since my brother died, and I could barely remember the small town outside of Dallas where I had grown up for a good part of my life. Could I even call Shreveport, Eric's house, my home? I was on egg shells the entire time I was there. I doubted he even wanted me there. He would have been happier if he had just kept me locked up in his office like he originally had. I didn't have that one place that I called my own, that I could run back to when the going got tough.

"I hate this." I grumbled out loud, my eyes scanning my surroundings. I was standing in a stark white hallway, only a few doors on either side. I had no idea where I was, or where I was supposed to go, and it was just now sinking in that I was in a Vampire's palace. Which meant there were probably other vampires lurking about that would be more than happy to sneak a taste when the Queen wasn't looking. Maybe walking off wasn't the best idea.

I considered turning back around and searching out Godric, but I nixed the idea the moment it popped into my head. There was absolutely no way I was going to back down from this issue. Him not telling me the truth spoke wonders, and it stung like a damn bitch. No, if the Queen wanted to see me, then she can come find me. With that, I huffed and slid down the wall, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I locked my heels close to my body, and I deeply hoped that no one would come by and see anything this far too revealing dress was showing off. I wondered for a moment if anyone would even realize I wasn't where I was supposed to be. What if I ended up being forgotten, and in two days, Godric would just go off without me? But that was just silly thinking, right? Just because he wasn't telling me the truth, it didn't mean he didn't care. However, as the minutes passed by dreadfully slow, I was beginning to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The panic began to rise, and I found all I wanted was to see or hear a voice that I recognized. What scared me, was that I actually just wanted Eric. It made no sense, the Viking drove me insane, and yet he was the only one I wanted right now, the only voice I wanted to hear.

"I need to talk to him." I decided determinedly, pushing myself up off of the ground.

Not sure where to find a phone, I walked to the closest door and leaned my ear up against it. Not hearing a peep, I slowly twisted the door handle and was happy to find that it was open. I was even more ecstatic when I realized the room was an office of some kind, bookcases lining the dark oak walls, while an elegant desk sat in the middle of the room. On top of the desk, amidst all of the cluttered papers and folders, was a phone just waiting to be used. I ignored the fact that if anyone caught me in here, they would have my head on a silver platter, and walked over to the desk and picked up the receiver. I didn't even question my decision as I punched in the all too familiar number and waited impatiently for someone to pick up.

"I'm in the middle of something, Sophie-Ann." Eric's agitated voice alone calmed the nerves that had been growing at an alarming rate.

"Eric?" I sat on the edge of the plush chair behind the desk.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing calling me?" well that answered my question on whether or not he would know it was me.

"I-I needed to talk to you." I chewed on my bottom lip.

"I'm in Mississippi, Ellie, I can't talk." His voice grew hushed all of a sudden. "My arrival here has already caused suspicion; I don't need to add talking to you on the list."

"Sorry." I stared down at my lap sadly. "I'll just hang up. Sorry."

I went to place the phone back in its place when I heard Eric's voice draw my attention back to him.

"What is it, Ellie? What are you doing in the Queen's office? Where's Godric?" He questioned, his voice still hushed, but there was a hint of worry in his tone.

"I never realized this was the Queen's office. I just wanted to talk to you and found this phone." I gazed around the office, noting the elegant fixtures and century old trinkets. How I hadn't put two and two together was beyond me. "I don't know where Godric is, I left him in a hallway somewhere."

"You need to stay close to him. There may be traitors lurking about." He warned.

I most definitely hadn't considered that. "I was angry."

"This isn't the time for one of your petty arguments."

"He wouldn't tell me, Eric. He won't tell me what I am. I just want to know. I have the right to know!" I could no longer suppress my anger. "I want to know! What the hell am I, Eric? Please, why can't you just tell me? Tell me what I am."

Eric sighed, and I knew without him even saying a word that he wasn't going to be the one to inform me of what I was either.

"This isn't my story to tell, Ellie."

"I don't care! I want to know!" My voice began to rise.

"Keep your voice down, Ellie." He snapped. "Before someone hears you. You're already jeopardizing everything by calling me."

I grumbled a few choice curses under my breath. "Eric, I'm tired of this. I'm so beyond tired. I almost _died_ coming here. The only reason Godric and I are both alive right now is because of some freaky thing I managed to do without even knowing it. I want to know what the hell I am. I want to know why I'm a freak of nature!"

"I can't, Ellie. Godric needs to..."

"Well Godric won't tell me! I'm going to hear it from some Vampire Queen who was the reason that we had to be on the run in the first place because she made you sell V! I don't exactly feel safe right now."

"What do you want me to do about that, Ellie? I'm trying to get this resolved and I can't do that if I'm worrying about you every five minutes." The agitation was returning.

I frowned. "Isn't it important that I know what I am?"

"Godric will tell you when the time is right."

"The time is right, Eric. There's no other time but right now." I argued. "Just tell me Eric."

"Even if I wanted to, which I don't, I cannot. I need to get back; I was in the middle of something important, something that will eventually save your ass."

"You're in the lion's den, Eric! They're the ones that want me!"

"This isn't the time Ellie. Go find Godric, I don't have time for this." He growled.

"It takes two seconds to just tell me what I..."

"Enough!" I nearly jumped at the sudden rise of his voice. "I'm tired of your complaining. Grow up, Ellie. I cannot deal with your childish behaviour right now. I have my child to save, and your ass to keep protected. Shut the fuck up and don't call me again."

The silence that followed was cold and awkward. I thought at first that he had just hung up to go about whatever business he was attending. But after a moment, I heard a sigh and a few mutters in the old language he often spoke. I could feel tears in my eyes and I rubbed them nearly raw to dry them.

"I'm sorry I called. I-I just...I miss you." I spoke so soft that a human never would have caught what I had said. "I'll let you get back to your business. I won't call again."

"I'll see you soon, Ellie. All you need to do is keep yourself in line for a few days, I'm not asking for a lot here." His voice had softened. "I'm here to keep all of us alive, and if I can find out any information about the vampire that is interested by you, then that's an added plus."

"I know." I mumbled, regretting even calling Eric in the first place. I knew it was risky, anyone could be listening to our conversation; it just wasn't safe. Eric needed to focus on doing what he can to satisfy the Magister, and do whatever he can to keep us all alive. It wasn't like it was going to be an eternity before I saw him again, only a few days. I should be able to survive this long without him. I had when I went to Bon Temps. But then again, that was on my own terms and I could go back and see Eric whenever I pleased. It was only my pride that kept us apart. Now it was all of our lives that were on the line. He couldn't be bothered by my fear and nerves. I was stupid for calling him, for needing words of comfort. It would have been smarter just to go search out Godric than to hope Eric would have been the source of such comfort.

"I know you're scared. I can feel it every second. It killed me to not be there when you were in pain last night. I was ready to go there in an instant, don't think for a minute that I don't give a fuck. All I can feel is your damn emotions, your pain. I can't have that right now. I need to focus and if I'm concerned about your well being, then we're not going to get anywhere."

"Sorry."

"Just do as you're told. Don't be an idiot. Go find Godric." Eric urged. "If you're so angry with him that he won't tell you what you are, than demand for him to do so. Don't complain to me. Face him. Make him tell you. You care for Godric; I can _feel_ how much you love him. You will get through this, we all will. I just need you to do this."

I felt an odd sense of calm surge through my veins, destroying the nerves that were floating around the pit of my stomach.

"We're connected, _bonded_ in ways that I have never been with a human before. Trust me, Ellie; I just need you to trust me."

"I do trust you." I sighed. "I was stupid for calling."

"You were. But I expect nothing less from you." He chuckled. "You are an emotional human, Ellie, and that will bring you nothing but trouble."

"It's not exactly easy to change."

"I understand that, and I don't expect you to change one bit. You are a stubborn one. It's one of the many reasons you drive me insane."

I couldn't help but smile slightly. "Everything about you drives me insane."

"Glad we've hashed that out." I could just imagine him smirking. "I need to go Ellie. Go find Godric and stick close to him. And Ellie, this isn't an easy story for Godric to tell. It's been a long time since he's had to speak about his past."

"I know, I guess I'm just being selfish and impatient." I pulled a face, not liking that I was actually agreeing with Eric's logical thinking. "I'll see you soon, right?"

"You will. And I do expect that ban on sex to be lifted."

I rolled my eyes. "We'll see about that. Sorry about calling. Go save our asses, I just want to go back to having a semi normal life."

"I'll ravish you soon enough, Elizabeth Cole."

My mouth dropped open at his bluntness, but before I could bring myself to say anything in retort, the phone went dead. I shook my head and lowered the phone from my ear. I was reaching across the desk to set it back down when the door to the office suddenly swung open, causing me to jump and drop the phone onto the elegant desk. I squeaked and snapped out of the chair, my eyes as wide as saucers.

"You're not supposed to be in here."

I gulped as I stared at the vampire standing in the doorway. He was tall, though he was nowhere near as tall as Eric was. His hair was cut short, and was a white blonde. His eyes were a striking blue, practically popping against his pale skin. He didn't look much older than I was, possibly even younger. He was rather built however, much like most vampires I've come into contact with. Then again, even an unfit vampire could snap my neck off in only a flash.

"I'm sorry, I...er...I was just using the phone." I hurriedly picked the phone back up and placed it back into its rightful place before inching around the desk. I held up hands up, making sure the vampire knew I wasn't any danger. "I-I didn't know this was the Queen's office. I swear I was just using the phone..."

The vampire, surprisingly, actually looked amused as his eyes roamed up my body. I had almost forgotten that I was wearing next to nothing, a fact that Eric would surely enjoy if he were here, and quickly pushed down the bottom of the dress as much as possible.

"I didn't mean to just come in here. I'm sorry." I kept rambling on.

"That's quite enough, little phoenix." He held up a hand to stop me, his lips curling upward. "I heard part of your conversation, and you look like anything but a spy."

I let out a loud sigh of relief. "I really am sorry for just coming in here. If I knew it was the Queen's office, I wouldn't have..."

"You talk quite a lot, don't you?" He took a step forward before using his speed to appear before me. "You look nothing like I imagined."

"Er...I'm not sure if that is an insult or not." I stared up at him in uncertainty.

"A compliment. You look far more beautiful." He smiled down at me, showing off his fangs as he did so. "Sophie-Anne has been waiting for you."

"I know, I got lost, and didn't know where to go, and then I needed to call Eric, and I came in here, and that was completely on accident and..." a hand suddenly came across my mouth, ceasing my rambles. I smiled sheepishly at the vampire, knowing I had a habit of talking too much when I was nervous.

"You humans talk far too much." He slowly moved his hand, only to graze my cheek with his hand before pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Sorry, I get chatty when I'm nervous."

"And are you nervous?" he titled his head to the side.

"Possibly."

"There is no need. I won't harm you." He took a step back, being kind enough to give me my personal space back. "What is your name, little phoenix?"

"Ellie." I eyed him closely. "And you are?"

"Andre." He bowed slightly. "It's an honour to meet you, little phoenix."

"Ah...thanks? Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked curiously.

He raised an eyebrow and took in my confused expression. "You do not know?"

"What, about what the hell I am? No, I don't." I crossed my arms, finding my nerves disappearing. I felt oddly comfortable in the presence of this vampire. He didn't look like he wanted to eat me for dinner, and he was definitely not about to jump me for being in here, which was a major relief. There was just air about Andre that made me relax, like I could trust him without even knowing a thing about him. The last time I had felt this way instantly about not only a vampire, but a human being, was Godric.

"Well then perhaps I shouldn't be the one to inform you." He tilted his head. "The Queen will want your presence before the night is through."

"Right...I really did get lost."

A smile appeared on Andre's face. "I believe you, little phoenix. Who were you speaking to?"

"Eric. Eric Northman, he's the sheriff of..."

"Area 5." Andre nodded. "Yes I'm familiar with him. He's quite a specimen."

"Ah, yeah he is I guess." I nodded. "I'm sorry for being in here. I just...I needed to talk to him, and this was the first room I found. I should have just asked someone, sorry."

"There was no harm done, do not worry, little phoenix." He held out a hand. "Shall we?"

I stared hesitantly at his hand, not sure if I was ready to formally meet the Queen yet. I wasn't sure how she would react to me, whether she would want me as a pet or would really just house Godric and me until everything had blown over. It wasn't every day one met vampire royalty.

"My Queen is ecstatic about your arrival. She has been waiting to meet a phoenix for centuries. You've brought a good deal of delight to Sophie-Anne." He assured. "She wishes to only meet you, nothing more."

I sighed and nodded, slipping my hand into his. "Lead the way."

* * *

**A/N:** so so so sorry! It feels like it's been forever since I've updated. This past month has been pretty crazy with midterms, and personal things that I havent really been in the writing mood. but midterms are done and I really have nothing to heavily worry about for a month when exams start, so i promise to try and update more often. I've gotten my inspiration back for this story, which helps a whole lot.

So Eric started out as a mean head, and then turned kind of sweet. it's like he's PMSing 24/7 lol. Andre makes an appearance in this chapter. if you've read the books, Andre is a bit more...well he's not exactly as friendly as I'm portraying him...but i mean...that was totally towards Sookie, and Ellie is a rare phoenix, so pfft, he's totally going to be nicer to her...and I really like the idea of Andre, so he's definitely going to stick around. if anyone knows the actor Toby Hemingway (he's in Taylor Swift's music video, Mine, as well as in the movie The Conenant) he is exactly who I picture Andre as. Andre totally should have been in the show...because you know, the show doesn't already have a long cast list of hot characters lol


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen:**

To say I was nervous about meeting the Queen would be putting it mildly. I was shaking from head to toe, and I was surprised Andre hadn't noticed as my hand still lay on his arm. Or at least, he wasn't showing that he had noticed, which I appreciated. I don't remember being this nervous when I had met Eric, though whatever nerves I did have were for a whole other reason. What if I said or did something that was inappropriate? I didn't have Eric here to stop me from speaking out of turn, and I wasn't sure where Godric was in this large palace. What if I was some big disappointment? The Queen was expecting one thing, and I wasn't even sure what it was that she was expecting. This whole thing would have been much easier if someone would have just told me what I was and the powers I possessed. But no, I was walking into this meeting blindly, without a single trace of understanding what was going on. I wished now more than ever that I had stayed in Bon Temps. I never would have met the Magister, and I wouldn't have had to come here, to New Orleans, to seek safety from the Queen.

But I was here, and there was no changing that fact. I couldn't go back in time; I couldn't change anything that had happened. I needed to just pull myself together and get through the next few days. And then I could return back to Shreveport and go back to figuring out my damn feelings. I would much rather the confusion of my feelings toward both Eric and Godric, than running for my life. Even if Eric was hot and cold every other day.

"You're scared." Andre mused, slowing to a stop just outside a set of what appeared to be pure gold double doors.

"Just nervous." I shrugged, inhaling sharply.

"The Queen won't bite." Andre paused for a moment before smirking. "Or perhaps she will."

"Ha ha, very funny." I grumbled.

"There is nothing to fear, little phoenix." He assured, turning towards me. "The Queen has already agreed to house you until it is safe for you to return home. Sophie-Anne merely wants to meet you."

"But..." the million things that could possibly go wrong were playing in my head.

"Relax." Andre laid a hand on my cheek, a small smile on the vampire's young face. "All will be well."

"This is one of those times I wish I could be glamoured to believe that." I sighed.

Andre titled his head to the side. "Intriguing, you cannot be glamoured?"

"Nope. I always thought that was because of my telekinesis powers and the mental wall I had to build up. But I'm starting to think there's a lot more to it." I admitted.

"Knowledge is a great power that needs to be learned over time."

"Well I'm getting impatient."

"All humans are impatient." He mused.

"So are vampires." I pointed out.

"Yes, we can grow quite impatient. Though after many centuries we're able to hide the emotion more easily." Andre nodded.

"Eric clearly never learned the art of masking his impatience." I snorted.

Andre smiled. "We all have our weaknesses."

"You're far too wise. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked curiously.

"I was turned nearly 700 years ago." He answered simply.

"Wow. How old were you when you were turned?"

It took a moment for Andre to answer, a faraway look in his eyes. "I believe I was in my early twenties. I couldn't have been much older than you are now, little phoenix."

"That' pretty young."

"Not as young as your companion, Godric, was when he was turned. Though appearances are deceiving." Andre glanced behind him at the golden doors. "The Queen is ready to meet you."

I immediately began chewing on my bottom lip, my nerves getting the best of me.

"Do not fret, little phoenix, all will be well." he smiled reassuringly.

I could do nothing but nod and swallow back the nerves as he took a hold of my elbow before knocking twice on the golden doors. I watched as the doors drew open, revealing a large, elegant room that appeared as if it were the middle of the day. There were murals and lighting done up on every wall, as well as the ceiling, giving it a mid afternoon glow to the large room. I was awed at the pool that lay in the middle of the room, the water lying completely still. I wasn't even sure if vampires could swim, or if they enjoyed it, but it gave what would have been an over done elegant room, a more relaxing feel.

As Andre led me further into the room, I noticed two large guards that stood beside the doors. I quickly looked away when their piercing eyes found mine. They were easily made back in the day of warriors. They were larger than Eric, which was a feat in itself, and both had battle wound scars littering their appearance. Needless to say, they did their job pretty damn well. I wouldn't dare cross them. They looked like they could have crushed me in the palm of their large hands.

"Brothers." Andre whispered into my ear as he began to lead me around the length of the pool. "Sigebert and Wybert. They were Saxons before the Queen turned them."

"Good choice." I muttered in response, glancing quickly at the two vampires before shuddering and looking at where we were approaching.

If I was surprised by the pool, I was completely taken back by the low table with what I assumed to be yahtzee being played on it. There were only two at the table; one was a blonde who I could tell was I human right away from the bite mark on her neck. She looked only a few years older than I was, though she didn't look distressed at all. In fact, she looked completely happy, as if she wouldn't want to be anywhere but here. I wasn't sure if that was from glamouring or not. Nonetheless, at least the Queen took well to humans; not that I was a human apparently. The other, who sat on the floor with her legs curled up underneath her, was who I presumed to be the Queen. She was slender, and I imagined her to be tall in statue whenever she stood. Her hair was a flaming red-orange, and her eyes were bright with life. She wore white suit pants, and a white silk cami, making her complexion look even paler than usual. At the moment, she was laughing and clapping her hands like a child would after winning a game. She didn't act like any vampire I had come across before, and most definitely not like what I had been expecting from a Queen.

I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. But I was entirely tired of ruthless vampires with only the desire to torture everyone, so this was a nice change of pace. For now at least. For all I knew, this could have been a mask put on by the Queen.

"My Queen." Andre spoke, letting go of my elbow to bow before the Queen.

Sophie-Anne didn't even look up from the game when she spoke. "Did we find the phoenix, Andre?"

"I have." Andre motioned me forward. I hesitated, causing the vampire to lay a hand on my back and nudge me forward slightly. "My Queen, allow me to formally introduce you to Elizabeth Cole."

The Queen's attention was quickly turned away from the game, her eyes lighting up as they fell on me. I forced myself not to fidget as her eyes drew up from my legs, to the bottom of the dress, before lingering on my chest and then finally resting on my face. I was beginning to get the feeling that perhaps the Queen didn't just appreciate male companions.

"My, you look absolutely delicious." Sophie-Anne licked her lips before standing in one graceful movement. "Don't you agree, Andre?"

I felt Andre's on me, and for the first time since meeting the vampire, I remembered his true nature. I was really beginning to wish I had Godric here, by my side, while I was in the presence of these vampires. While I felt at ease around Andre and felt like I could trust him, I wasn't sure about the Queen and her influence over her own progenies.

"I've waited centuries to finally meet you." Sophie-Anne stepped forward, slowly making her way around me as if sizing me up. "You are nothing like I imagined."

I couldn't speak. Even if I wanted to, my tongue was absolutely tied. If it weren't my nerves, it was most definitely my fear that kept me from making a peep. I knew they could smell my fear, hear my heart beat begin to race. I did what I could to try and calm myself down, but it was nearly impossible.

"She doesn't speak." Sophie-Anne stopped before me, a pout on her beautiful face. "Who tampered with my phoenix?"

"She's merely scared, Sophie." Andre assured, giving me a small smile. "Considering what she has gone through, it's to be expected."

"Right right." Sophie-Anne nodded, a long and elegant finger tapping her chin. "Did Rasul ever find the pack that attacked my phoenix? I will rip their heads off if they come within a mile of this city again."

"There has been no trace of them. We are under the impression that they are Russell's vampires."

The Queen pulled a face. "Andre, please; the name alone disgusts me."

"I apologize." Andre chuckled softly. "There is something else, Sophie."

"What is it, Andre?" The Queen's eyes searched Andre's. They seemed to have some sort of silent conversation, leaving only their expressions to try and figure out. I could see the undying love the two held for one another, a love that I had only ever seen displayed between Eric and Godric in the past. I don't think I will ever fully understand the bond a maker and child have. I suppose it must be like a mother and child in a way.

"She doesn't know?" Sophie-Anne's perfectly trimmed eyebrows shot up in surprise. Her eyes found mine, and I resisted the urge to look elsewhere. "How interesting."

"I thought you would find such information intriguing. It appears neither Godric nor Northman have told her a thing. She's quite annoyed about it. She wishes to know what she is."

"Well of course!" She clapped her hands together. "Well, we must talk! Andre, won't you leave us alone?"

My eyes widened, and I looked at Andre pleadingly. He offered an apologetic smile as he bowed to the Queen and turned to leave.

"Take Hadley with you. I'd like to have a moment alone with our guest." Sophie-Anne smiled at her progeny before glancing at the blonde girl that rose up from the table. "I'll see you shortly, my love."

The blonde grinned widely as she nodded and hurried out of the room. Andre laid a hand on my shoulder in a comforting manner before following after the blonde.

"You two may leave as well." She waved her hand in the air.

I glanced over my shoulder and watched as the two large guards quietly left the room, the golden doors closing behind them leaving the Queen and me completely alone. I gulped and slowly turned my head back around, only to jump in surprise at how close the Queen now was.

"Fascinating, absolutely fascinating." She slid a finger under my chin, lifting my head up slightly before tilting it to the side. I felt my hair sliding off my shoulder, baring my neck for view. "Northman didn't lie, you do smell intoxicating."

My heart was racing now, my breath caught in my throat as I braced myself for what would come next.

"My, you really are a frightened one." She snickered before taking a step back, letting my hair fall back across my shoulder. "I assured Northman of your safety, you have nothing to fear my little phoenix."

She turned and began over to one of the lounging couches, sprawling her slender body across the elegant fabric. She patted the chair that was sitting beside it, and I slowly walked over, knowing better than to refuse a vampire. I sat nervously on the chair, trying to keep my heart from bursting out of my chest. Neither of us spoke for the longest time. Sophie-Anne just stared at me, as if not believing I was really here. I was too scared to speak up, to say what was really on my mind. Like why they all kept referring to me as a Phoenix. What was a Phoenix? Is that what I was? What did that even mean? I was so confused and I hated it. I just wanted answers, answers I should have gotten from the start. But no, Godric had to be stubborn and refuse to tell me what I was. I understand that this must be hard for him. He was digging up memories and feelings from up to 2000 years ago, memories I'm sure he wishes he could just forget. I get that it must be painful for him, I truly did understand that. But this was painful for me too. I went my entire life thinking one thing, and within only a few days everything I've ever known feels like it's been a lie.

My fists clenched as my anger began to grow. My finger nails dug into the palm of my hand, and I had to stop myself before I drew blood. I couldn't help the anger I felt not only towards Godric, but towards everything in general. I was so tired of vampires coming after me, of fearing for my life. I just wanted everything to be simple. I just wanted my life to go back to being normal. But that would never happen. I will always have these damn powers; I will always be different and desired by the vampire race. There was nothing I could do but just accept it, and that was far from what I wanted to do.

"What am I?" I found my voice, though it sounded far from its usual self.

"Why, you're a Phoenix of course." She answered, a playful smile on her face.

"And what is a Phoenix?"

"Godric really never told you, did he?" she shook her head, laughing lightly. "I'm surprised Northman never let the cat out of the bag. He's infatuated with you, though he'll never admit. Men never do. That's why I quite enjoy women."

My eyes snapped to hers. "He's what?"

"Oh he's completely in love with you." She waved her hand around. "But that doesn't matter right now."

"Can...can you tell me about what it is I'm supposed to be?" I asked timidly.

Sophie-Anne's eyes brightened, as if just talking to me was the most fascinating thing in the world. I suppose that boded well in my favour.

"They're legendary." She began. "When I was human, it was an old tale my mother used to tell me. The Phoenix is as close to the gods that the new world will ever see."

"What's the tale?" I questioned.

"Millenniums ago, long before even Godric was born, when gods roamed the earth freely, there was a child that was born. She was only a day old when the village she was born into was attacked. Her mother hid her in their hut, but it was burned along with the others. The parents were murdered, and only she survived, though she was nearly dead by the time the warriors had left. She was crying, catching the attention of the Phoenix." Sophie paused for a moment, a content smile on her face. "Phoenixes are said to be the child of the sun. They breathe life, and are nearly immortal themselves. When one dies, they are reincarnated by their ashes. They create life, not only with themselves, but can bring life to others."

I was utterly speechless as the Queen spoke, just trying to let her words set in.

"It's said that the tears of a Phoenix can heal even the most deadliest wound; they can heal death. The phoenix found the young child, and with its sadness of the innocent life being taken in such a horrible way, cried for the child."

"And the tears healed the baby." I was beginning to understand.

"Not exactly." Sophie-Anne leaned forward. "She was dying when the Phoenix found her. The phoenix gave the child life; healed death itself. But that cannot be done without sacrifice. Even when another Phoenix is created, the one that preceded it had to die."

"So the Phoenix gave the baby life, but sacrificed its own?"

"Indeed." She nodded. "But the Phoenix line cannot die. The Phoenix is a gift from the gods, given to the earth for an eternity to watch over and protect all those that dwell under the sun."

"But if the Phoenix gave the baby life, then..."

"The phoenix gave the baby its life." Sophie-Anne finished. "The child gained the powers of the phoenix; every power."

"And the Phoenix died?"

"And the new one was created within the child."

"So she...she had all of the powers, including immortality."

"You're catching on." Sophie's mile widened. "Of course, Phoenixes can die, but only when there is another Phoenix to take its place."

"So what, she became ashes when she died?"

"Oh of course not." She laughed. "She had a child after several hundred years. She died during child birth, completing the cycle. The new child was born a Phoenix."

"Let me get this straight. In order for another phoenix to be born, the other has to die. So she had to die and the child was just left alone? That doesn't seem fair."

"Life isn't fair, Elizabeth. The gods made sure of that, to humble us." The queen reached over, taking my hand. "That child grew to become a phoenix, and eventually had a child of her own. A girl of course. The Phoenix line is only passed down through the female gender. There have been times when a phoenix would have a child and it would be a male. She would remain living of course, until a girl can be created."

"And then she dies so the next in line can be created." My head was spinning from all the information. "So what does this all have to do with me?"

"The Phoenix linage, Elizabeth, it's been passed down to you."

"I'm sorry what?" I blinked, not understanding what she was saying.

"You are a Phoenix."

"I can't be."

"You have powers that can't be explained by any other reason."

"But...no...it's impossible...I can't..." That's when it struck me. Kyra, Godric's first love, she had lived for hundreds of years. She had the same powers that I possessed, we have the same blood. She had been a phoenix. And if she had been, and if I looked exactly like her, then the only explanation could have been that I too was one. But none of this made any sense. How could I be some mythological being? I was just...me.

"Believe it Elizabeth. You are a phoenix. You will live for hundreds of years until you bear a female child and the line will move on. But you are it until that day occurs. That cannot be changed.

"Oh god." I breathed heavily, my eyes wide and my face pale.

I felt completely numb. I could feel Sophie-Anne shake me. I couldn't even hear her as she called my name. I was just in shock. Nothing made sense anymore. I just couldn't wrap my head around everything that I've learned. None of it made any sense. It was just too much for me to handle. I wasn't expecting this. I wasn't expecting to be told I could live longer than a normal human being. I wasn't expecting to find out that I was born with a gift from god. But to me this wasn't a gift. It was a curse. I didn't want this. I didn't want to be different. I just wanted to be me. I just wanted to be normal.

"Elizabeth?" Godric's familiar voice spoke in my ear, though it sounded like it was miles away. "Calm down Elizabeth, just breathe."

"She's in shock. She just found out everything about her very existence has been a lie." Andre voiced

"Yes, why didn't you tell her, Godric? You do have a deeper connection to her than even Northman himself."

"In all due respect, Sophie-Anne, that is none of your business."

"Oh don't get your knickers all bunched up, Godric. I was just curious."

"Perhaps you should take her back to her room." Andre suggested

"I believe that will be for the best."

I could hear everything happening around me, and yet none of it registered. It was like I was there, but everything was in some sort of haze. I couldn't move my own limbs, I couldn't speak, I could barely recognize the voices of those around me. I could feel myself being picked up, but I had absolutely no clue who was doing so and where I was being taken. My mind was becoming completely blank as I sunk into a state of shock that I never realized was possible.

* * *

**A/N:** So apparently having a mouse in my apartment makes me completely inspired. While I was hanging around campus to escape the mouse, I ended up writing 2 big chapters I know we've all been waiting for. Ellie has finally found out what she is, and as to be expected, she's not taking it very well. I hope you all enjoyed the explanation of the Phoenix and how they came to be. I kinda took creative license and molded what I know about phoenixes so that it fit perfectly with this story. There is of course still some unsolved mysteries that will begin to be solved in the next chapter. and I promise there will be some Eric in a couple chapters from now. expect the second chapter to be up shortly!


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen:**

I wasn't sure when I became aware of my surroundings again. Everything just suddenly clicked into place; my eyes focusing, my ears adjusting to the hush whispers in a different language. It took me a moment to get a hold of my limbs, but once I had, I alerted whoever was whispering. I came to the realization that I was lying in the bed I had only awoken up in earlier tonight. That seemed so far away now, like it didn't even matter.

"Elizabeth?" I felt a hand caress my cheek.

I blinked a few times before finding use of my hand and managed to push myself up into a sitting position. I winced at the cracking of my back as I moved, and I wondered for a moment just how long I had been in a state of shock. I moved my gaze around the room before settling on Godric, who now sat so close to be I would have been able to feel his breath if he had been human.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly, his eyes trailing over me.

"Like my entire world is crashing down around me." I mumbled, the knowledge I had learned coming back at full force. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I laid my cheek against a knee and closed my eyes to try and calm down the impending emotions. I could feel the tears threatening to fall, and I felt weak for feeling such a way when I was supposed to be some powerful being.

"It's a lot to take in, I understand that Elizabeth. This is one of the reasons I didn't wish to tell you."

"So what, you were just going to let me go on not knowing what I was?" I frowned and opened my eyes to glare at him. "You don't care at all that I had to find out from some stranger, do you? Maybe I wouldn't have reacted this way if you just told me yourself."

Godric sighed and looked away. "I apologize, Elizabeth."

"But you don't really mean that, do you?" My flooding emotion were turning into anger now, directing itself at the only other one in the room; Godric.

"Elizabeth, you must understand that..."

"Yeah yeah, this must be hard for you. But what about me, Godric? Do you know how hard this is for me? Do you get how hard it is to even try and wrap my mind around the fact that I'll live for centuries until I have a child, and then poof, my life will just be taken away? Do you get that this _curse_ is not what I wanted? I just wanted to be normal. I was just getting a handle on my telekinesis powers and now this is thrown at me. I can't deal with this Godric. I can't. I'm not strong enough to get through this. You were supposed to be my strength. You were supposed to be that one person who I could lean on. But how can I do that when you don't even tell me this!"

I swallowed back the lump that was rising in my throat as I threw my legs over the side of the bed and pushed myself onto my feet. I swayed for a moment, trying to catch my bearings, but I straightened soon enough.

"I just want to go home. But the funny thing is, I don't have a home." My eyes fell on the set of clothes that sat on a nearby chair. I grabbed them quickly, and not even thinking, pulled the dress off. I didn't even care that Godric was getting a good view as I hurriedly pulled the new clothes on, thankfully a sundress that actually fit.

"You have a home with Eric and me." Godric suddenly appeared before me.

"No I don't. That's a lie." I crossed my arms and glared at him stubbornly. "Eric...Eric is an asshole at best. He treats me horribly, and I'm tired of it. And you...I can't even trust you even more. I think that's even worse than Eric's constant mood swings. That place isn't a home. It's just a place I unwillingly went to because that was where you wished to go. I didn't want to leave you. I needed you so much Godric, for so many reasons. But I've been nothing but miserable there. I just want to be happy. I want someone to actually care enough about me not to treat me like dirt and refuse to tell me the truth."

"Elizabeth..." Godric's hand reached up to cup my cheek.

I brushed his hand away angrily and stepped back. "No, Godric. I can't do this. Everything is changing. My entire world is crashing down around me and you still won't admit that you were wrong! All I asked from you was to be honest. But you weren't. That hurts so much Godric. "

"I am truly sorry." Godric's eyes lowered.

"Well it's a little too late for that." I turned my head away. "I can't do this Godric. I can't. I'm not as powerful and strong as everyone seems to believe. I'm scared. And all I want is for someone to be there. I never thought it wouldn't be you."

I felt a tear slide down my cheek and I quickly brushed it away. "I think I'm going to go back to Bon Temps after all this is over and done with. I was actually happy there."

"I don't wish to hurt you, Elizabeth. That was never my intention. I wish that you could understand..."

"Understand what Godric! You haven't given me anything to understand!" I exclaimed. "Tell me whatever it is that is so hard for you to talk about. Make me understand. I don't want to cut you out of my life, Godric. I love you, in so many different ways. I don't want to lose you. But this...this is just too big."

"I..."Godric's eyes closed, though when I peered at him, I could see a pool of blood just under his eyes. "I was the reason she was killed."

"That makes no sense, Godric. A Phoenix can only die when another is born. That is no one's fault but whoever made the stupid rule."

"She never bore a child." Godric's voice was barely above a whisper, I had to step forward to hear what he was saying. "She was killed because of me. Because of the monster that I am."

"She didn't die. She couldn't have." I shook my head.

"She did."

"She couldn't have, Godric. Sophie-Anne said..."

"I know what she said." Godric snapped suddenly, his eyes opening and blazing with pain and anger. "Kyra was killed. By me."

I wasn't sure what to do with that. What was someone supposed to do when they hear a murderer' confession? But Godric wasn't even a murderer. From what the Queen told me, Kyra couldn't have died. It was impossible. Unless there was another phoenix to be created, she couldn't have died. It just made absolutely no sense.

"You probably don't remember it clearly, Godric. She couldn't have died."

That had been the wrong statement to make however, as only seconds afterwards I found my back being pushed up against the opposite wall, pain ripping up my spine. Godric's hands were digging into my shoulders, his fangs descending into place.

"Godric, your hurting me." I tried to struggle against his grip, but it was no use; he was a 2000 year old vampire and I...well I was just a phoenix. I wasn't sure where that put me up against a vampire, young or old.

"Do not assume that you know what occurred long before your time." His hands squeezed my shoulders. "You know nothing."

"No, I don't know anything because you won't tell me about what happened!"

Godric growled dangerously low, and I knew I was only digging myself a bigger hole. This was a painful topic for Godric, and while I was angry, I was beginning to understand that I needed to just listen to him, or at least let it go if I wanted to leave this palace alive.

"You didn't kill her Godric, I don't get why you're..."

My mouth apparently didn't listen closely to my head. Godric released a shoulder, only to grab a chunk of hair and pull my head to the side roughly. I cried out as his fangs suddenly dived into my neck, breaking the skin and drawing blood. I tried to push at his chest, to get him to stop, but that caused Godric only to latch onto me more. I whimpered in pain as I felt the blood being drawn out of me at every passing minute. My thoughts were completely lost as my consciousness began to slip away. Black dots began to invade my vision, my heart beat slowing to match my breathing pattern. There was a coolness that spread through my body, such a horrible coolness that I could only attribute to death. I wanted to struggle, to yell at Godric to stop, but I couldn't. I no longer had a voice; my energy was being sucked out of me, my limbs growing so weak I could no longer hold myself up. My head lolled to the side, my eyes clamping shut as I took in what I truly believed was going to be my last breath. My body slumped forward as my consciousness slid away from me.

* * *

"_Is she dead?"_

"_She's not breathing."_

"_You two know as well as I do that it's not possible. She needs to bear a child, the next in line. She cannot die otherwise."_

"_But Kyra, she's not breathing. Explain how she can't possibly be dead."_

"_Go fetch some water Joslyn. She'll be waking soon."_

"_But she's dead Kyra."_

"_You too, Madeline. Leave us."_

The voices were what had woke me up out of the nightmare that I had to of been having. There was no longer pain in my neck, the coolness of death now replaced with warmth. I hadn't realized I wasn't breathing until suddenly oxygen was returned to my lungs and I shot up gasping for air. My eyes were open wide as I grasped at my throat, trying to calm myself down as I drew the air into my lungs.

"Relax." One of the voices spoke softly. "You're alright."

It took only a few moments before my breathing became regular, my heart beat matching its pace. I let out an audible sigh, relieved that I was still alive, and let my eyes wander over where I was. I was surprised to find myself in the middle of a field of wild flowers. There was nothing around but forests lining the field, though the trees appeared to be miles away. My eyes rested on who was kneeling down beside me, and I nearly screamed. I scrambled backwards, my eyes as wide as saucers.

"Don't be afraid."

But I was beyond afraid. Staring back at me was...well me. Or someone who looked exactly like me. They had my nose, the same quirky smile, the same striking green eyes. She even had the same small scar on her right cheek; a scar I had gotten from the car crash that had killed my parents. The only difference there appeared to be between me and this girl, was the hair. Her hair was flaming red, only a hint darker than Sophie-Anne's. The hair told me all that I needed to know of who this person was.

"K-Kyra?" I asked hesitantly.

She nodded encouragingly, a warm smile on her face. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Ellie."

"H-How do you know who I am?"

"I've been waiting for when you would finally appear." She stood up and held out a hand.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was at a loss of what to say. I slid my hand in hers, and in one quick movement, I was on my feet.

"Where am I?" I asked, looking around at the peaceful field.

"There's no name for where we are." She explained, her eyes roaming over the many flowers that littered the field. "But it's our home."

"Home?"

"The home of the Phoenixes." Her bright eyes met mine. "We're daughters of the sun; we live only under the rays of our fathers."

"So this...this is kind of like heaven?" My eyebrows furrowed.

"You could call it a form of heaven, yes." She nodded. "But our home is much more peaceful, for we deserve such after centuries living on earth, enduring the pain and horror that follows us."

"How am I...does this mean that I'm...am I dead?" I asked, my fear returning.

"One never truly dies. We simply leave one world and enter another." She cryptically answered.

"But...am I dead?" I asked again. "If I'm here, that must mean that I'm dead."

"You are not, do not fear Ellie." She laid her hands on my shoulders in reassurance.

"Then why am I here? How am I here?"

"I brought you here. You were near death, but I was able to pull you here before that could happen."

"How?"

"You are a curious one, aren't you?"

"I'm just tired of not knowing the truth." I sighed.

"He means well." she smiled sadly. "Godric cares deeply for you. He never meant to hurt you."

"You just said I was near death. He's the reason for that!"

"He's in pain, Ellie. He has been for 1400 years." I could see tears in Kyra's eyes. "Since I disappeared, he's blamed himself."

"He thinks he killed you. But that's not possible."

"You are correct. It's not. There must be another phoenix to replace the preceding one in order for them to die. However, I did die. In some sense that is."

"But...how?" My mouth dropped open in shock. "How can that possibly be?"

Kyra sighed a he took my hand and led me over to two smooth boulders that had suddenly appeared only a few feet away. She sat us down and took both of my hands in her, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"My body did indeed die. Over a thousand years ago, Godric and I were travelling together and he was attacked by a pack of werewolves. He was hunting while I was resting at our camp. I still remember his screams of pain to this day."

I squeezed her hand. I couldn't imagine having to hear someone I cared so deeply about in so much pain and not be able to do anything to help.

"When I found him, he was nearly dead. Werewolves are truly horrific creatures. They have no mercy. They were taunting him of course, leaving him to die a painful death by the sun." Another tear slipped down her cheek.

"What happened?" I wondered.

"I couldn't bear to see him in so much pain. He was dying before he could heal. He needed blood, but not just any blood. He needed my blood. A phoenix can heal the deepest wound with their blood, with their inner being. I refused to let him die. He wasn't the monster he tried to make me believe he was for so many centuries. He was my Godric. I loved him, truly loved him. I would give my life for his, and that was what I intended to do."

"But if he drank your blood, he should have healed and you wouldn't have died." I was confused.

"His injuries were beyond repair for just a few gulp of blood. He needed more. He needed much more." Kyra sighed, her eyes catching mine. "Are you aware of the legend concerning how we were first created?"

"Sophie-Anne told me." I nodded. "The phoenix saw a dying baby and sacrificed itself to save her with its tears."

Kyra nodded. "I didn't wish to live if Godric was taken from me. I could feel that he was important, that his presence for centuries to come would prove great in the wars I knew were impending. He had a purpose, whether he knew that or not. I couldn't let him die."

My eyes widened and I began to understand what she was saying. "You sacrificed yourself."

Her eyes closed as another set of tears streamed down her cheeks. She breathed deeply for a moment before reopening her eyes. "When a Phoenix dies, its soul is transferred to the next in line. It should have been impossible to do so with a Vampire, a male one at that. But there was no time to think about it. I gave him my blood. I wouldn't let him stop. I offered him my soul, my very essence, the line to the Phoenixes."

"He didn't die, does that mean..."

"No." She shook her head sadly. "If he had accepted my offer, his heart would have beat for the first time in centuries; he would have been given a long lifetime, but alive instead of roaming the earth a vampire."

"Then how did you die?"

"My soul was rejected and I was dying from saving him. Godric did what he could. He gave me his blood in return, but it wasn't enough. A Phoenix cannot be made into a vampire. It's absolutely impossible. Once we lose our soul, our entire essence of living, either alive or undead, is gone. There is no way for us to hide from the sun when we were the daughter of the sun to begin with."

"So you died. You actually died." I couldn't believe it. Godric had been right. That was what had been so painful for him not to want to tell me. He still blamed himself for Kyra's death. He hated himself for being the cause of it. I felt absolutely horrible for everything I had said, for not believing him, for not giving him time.

"As I said, my body did indeed die. I was brought here at the time of my death, to live and be surrounded by the other deceased Phoenixes. This is our gift for roaming the world for centuries at a time, for enduring pain. We're peaceful here. We're happy. There is nothing to fear." Kyra smiled slightly as she looked around at the field. "My body came here, but my soul, the Phoenix linage, it was trapped on earth."

"So how was the next Phoenix created?" I questioned.

"A Phoenix wasn't created. Until my soul settled, there was no Phoenix."

"It had to finally find someone though, or else I wouldn't be a Phoenix."

Kyra nodded. "My soul did find someone. I've waited 1400 years for it to."

"1400 years?" My mouth dropped open. "Your soul was lost for 1400 years?"

"Yes. It took more than a millennium for my soul to find a purely innocent being."

"So there hasn't been a phoenix until the Phoenix found this girl?" I looked to Kyra for confirmation.

"Until my soul found you."

* * *

**A/N:** So there you have it. She actually is a true reincarnation of Kyra. 1400 years later. craziness, I know. Kyra sacrificed herself so Godric wouldn't die. what love! if you remember Ellie was ready to die right along Godric on top of the rooftop in Dallas, then you can definitely tell that Kyra's soul is a part of Ellie's. Oh and I totally promise Eric will be in the next chapter...the action is about to begin. we're getting to my favorite part of the 3rd season. I'll try my best to do justice to the amazingnes.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty:**

"Me?" My eyes grew wide. "But..."

"Phoenixes are typically created by the blood that bonds them. But the Gods also believed in reincarnation; the act of a soul or spirit entering another body of some sort. But it would have to be the correct body, the correct being, in order for it to happen. A soul cannot just find another body out of whim. It has to be _right_." Kyra explained. "You were the one."

"But...But..." I was beginning to feel the familiar state of shock take over me.

"That's how we look exactly alike." Kyra smiled. "My soul found yours; found the vessel it was meant to be with. The only different is our hair, that is one of the traits of your parents that hadn't been altered."

"So...so I'm you." My heart began racing.

"Oh no, not at all. Scientifically, yes, we could pass to be the same person. But it goes much deeper than that. My soul only attached itself to the already existing soul. We share our looks, and I'm sure many other traits, as well as the Phoenix linage, but we are different people."

"This...this is too much." I stood suddenly. "I feel like I can't breathe. I think I'm having another panic attack."

"No, it just your time to go back." Kyra stood beside me, laying her hands on my shoulders.

"Go back? But...no, there's too much that I still need to know." I shook my head wildly. I just began to fully understand everything, but there was still so much more than I needed to know. Like my powers. What could I do? How do I use them? I couldn't just go, not after just meeting my other half.

"I could only speak with you for a short period of time before you are bound back to your own world." She spoke apologetically.

"But..." I could feel tears popping in my eye. "I'm scared. I can't do this. I'm not strong enough to be a Phoenix. I can't."

"You are a strong girl, Elizabeth Cole. And you are not alone. You have many people that care for you. And I will always be here. This will not be our last meeting. We will see each other soon, I promise." She pulled me in for a hug. "Always remember that you are a pure being. You have more power than anyone can account for. Use them wisely."

"How? How do I use them?"

"They will show themselves in time of need. You'll understand it all, I promise you that. You need to find yourself before you can seek out your power." She assured. "Now go. You have a long life ahead of you. And please...do not hate Godric for what he has done. He's gone through centuries of pain. He needs you as much as you need him. You are bonded; not because of the soul you possess or who you look like, but because of who you are as a person. He cares for you deeply."

All I could do was nod before I found myself dropping to my knees, my hands on my throat as I began gasping for breath. My eyes were blinking rapidly as I tried to regain consciousness.

"Goodbye Ellie, I will see you soon."

My eyes were burning with tears as darkness consumed me, my body slumping to the side.

* * *

"_Did you call Northman?"_

"_I tried my Queen, but there was no answer."_

"_This is just great! My Phoenix cannot be dead, and within my own palace! Where's Godric?"_

"_He fled the moment I arrived. He didn't mean this, Sophie. He was very distraught."_

"_I will have his heart for dinner if she doesn't regain consciousness."_

There was a tug at my consciousness, as well as a flood of oxygen in my lungs that caused me to wake up in an instant, my body shooting up as I gasped in air.

"Oh thank god!" Sophie-Anne sighed out of relief.

"Little phoenix?" Andre shook my shoulder slightly. "Are you..."

"Where is he?" I ignored him as I pushed myself off of the bed, ignoring the fact that the room I had almost died in was lined with both vampires and humans. I did however, search every single face, making sure that Godric was indeed not there. "Where's Godric?"

"He left. He thought he had..." Andre trailed off.

"He thought he killed me. Fuck." My eyes fell on Sophie-Anne. "Can someone go after him? I'm sure he's still in the area. I'd be eternally grateful."

Sophie-Anne stared at me oddly, as if I had five heads.

"He's long gone, Ellie." Andre spoke on her behalf. "You've been unconscious, _not breathing_ for almost an entire day. The only reason we didn't immediately presume you to be death was your aurora. Your soul was still alive."

"No." My face fell. "He thinks he killed me. He thinks I'm dead. I need to call him, or go after him. I need to do something."

"You need to stay here." Sophie-Anne shook her head. "You were sent to me for protection. I will not be blamed for the death of a Phoenix. You'll stay until Northman comes for you."

"But..."

"It's for the best, Ellie." Andre assured, standing beside me and laying a hand on my shoulder. "Come back to bed. You need to rest."

"I'm fine." I pushed his hand away. "I just need to speak with him."

"Impossible." Sophie-Anne stepped forward. "You two are bonded; he'll feel that you're alive. That's all that can be done."

I could feel the tears pricking my eyes, and I wanted nothing more than to be alone to digest everything that I've learned.

"Can I...can I be alone?" My eyes met Sophie-Anne's. "I'm sorry; I know you wanted to know me because of what I am. But I...I need to figure this all out. Please."

"Leave us." Sophie-Anne called to the others, her eyes never leaving mine.

In only a blink of an eye the room was cleared.

"Sit."

I sighed but nodded, waiting for Sophie-Anne to sit as well.

"I've had my eye on you for many months now." She began, her eyes roaming over me. "You've caused quite an uproar in the Vampire community."

"That wasn't my intention."

"Of course not. It never is." She chuckled softly. "You are a brave one, for going through the things you have. I knew there had to be something special about you. When Northman told me what you truly were, I was surprise of course, but I knew there was something about you that was different than any other silly human."

"Wish I could have had the same intuition." I admitted, looking down at my lap. "This is just all so...sudden."

"You and I aren't so different, you know."

"You're a vampire Queen." I pointed out.

"I haven't always been a Queen, nor have I always been a vampire." She looked away, as if remembering the past. Do you know how I came to be a vampire?"

I shook my head, not knowing the story at all. I barely even knew how Eric became a vampire. I just knew what Godric had told me, but there were always two sides to every story. I knew the story of one's turn was sensitive to many vampires however, some more than others. It was personal, and from what I could tell, not many of them were willingly telling humans. Then again, I've been the phoenix in the making for 1400 years.

"I lived in what became Northern France when I was human nearly a thousand years ago. It was a small village where I lived with my family. I was only 18 at the time when a traveller came to our village. We weren't accustomed to visitors, we rarely got them. We were excited, gave him a place to stay, food to eat. But there was a price to our generosity." Sophie-Anne broke off for a moment, and I could see the pain and anguish on her face. "He travelled with an illness, what I believe now to be a form of the influenza, and within only weeks the entire village was dead. Except for me and another boy."

"Oh my god." I spoke softly. I knew what it felt to lose the people you care about, your family. And in such a sudden and unexpected way. I knew better than anyone how that felt. I'm sure the memory still haunted her to this day.

"Clovis, he didn't like me. The reason why, I no longer remember. Perhaps if he felt differently, than I never would have become who I am today; _what_ I am. He...he raped me, and sold me to whoever would pay for my services."

My heart ached for her. I had been so close to being raped and had somehow escaped that fate. I was a different person because of it. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if they had succeeded in taking my innocence by force. I surely wouldn't be the same person that I was today.

"We travelled from village to village, never catching the influenza that seemed to follow us. That is, until one night while residing in the woods." A small smile tugged at her lips. But it wasn't a typical happy mile. I could see that she was more than happy at what had occurred in those woods that night. "A Vampire killed him before my very eyes. I couldn't have been happier."

Vampires seemed to have a thing for damsels in distress.

"He spared me, thought I would be a good companion. His name was Alain. We travelled for many years together. Vampires then of course lived in secret, and Alain was good at masking his hunts. He had a thing for priests as he had been one before he was turned. I wanted nothing more than for him to bring me over, to make me what he was. I wanted the strength." She glanced over at me, and I nodded in understanding. There's been more than one occasion that I wished I had the strength of a vampire, that I didn't need to rely on Eric or Godric to protect me. "He had promised for years to do so, but never complied. Eventually we needed money, for clothes and food for me. He sold me in the same way that Clovis did."

And vampires always have an ulterior motive for everything.

"We came to a village where the headman's wife had been murdered by Alain. He was stupid enough to return to the village. They attacked and bound him with silver. There was to be a ceremony for Alain to meet the sun. I was going to become a slave as they knew I had been abused and used by Alain. I suppose it was their way of showing mercy, but I knew how slaves were treated. I bargained with Alain one night before the sun came up, told him that if he turned me I could free him. He agreed eventually, and he drained me of every drop of blood before replacing it with his own. I had dug myself a hole beside him in the hut he was bound in, and there I rested for three days.

She stopped for a moment, letting her words sink in, before continuing.

"The Priest the village had been waiting for to conduct the ceremony returned before he was due, and Alain was burned in the sun before I could awake a vampire. I clawed my way out of the ground, only to find him as a lump of ash." She snickered to herself. "It turns out I was in the priests' hut when I woke. I didn't kill him, though the urge was great."

"Why didn't you?" I found my voice for the first time since the story began.

She smiled wicked, sending chills up my spine. "He had killed the man that abused me, used me in so many ways. I was grateful."

"So you just left?"

She nodded. "Over a century later, I found myself growing lonely. I found an orphan treated in the same way I had, and well...I took care of the problem."

"Andre." I made the connection.

Sophie-Anne nodded, a loving smile on her face. After all these centuries, her love for her child has not changed. I suppose to vampires, it was their form of unconditional love.

"We haven't spent a moment a part. Most makers and their children will part, even just for a few decades. But Andre has stayed by my side since the day I created him." she spoke fondly of him. "It's one of my gifts. When we're turned, we all have the usual strength, ability to control minds, and immortality. But we are also given a special gift or two that is unique. Godric, you may know, has the ability to fly. Because he shares the same blood, Northman can also fly. I'm able to keep my children close, converse with them telepathically because our bond is so deep."

"You really love him." I commented.

"I do. I love all of them. But I will always have a deeper bond with Andre. He was my first child, my companion for so long." She sighed in content before turning her attention back onto me. "But this story wasn't about my connection with Andre. You've had similar experiences, have you not?"

I had a feeling this conversation would turn back onto me, and the moment she said the word rape, I just knew that this was the entire reason she told me her history. I stared down at my fidgeting hand as I bit down on my bottom lip. I hadn't openly talked about the attempted rape in so long; the nightmares were enough to make me never want to think about it. Even now it still haunted me; the nightmares may have faded over time, with the help of both Eric and Godric, but the memories were still fresh. They would always be there, reminding me of one of the darkest days in my life.

"It took me many years to come to terms with what I had to go through to become the strong vampire I am today. And now look at me, I'm a Queen!" Sophie-Anne smile broadly.

"I...I don't think I'm as strong as you are." I mumbled.

"Nonsense, you're a phoenix!"

I snorted. "I didn't even know that until you told me. I don't understand my powers at all, and I just found out that I'm the reincarnation of someone from 1400 years ago. Did you know there hasn't been a Phoenix since then? I'm the first in 1400 years. That's a lot of pressure. I can't live up to this strong powerful being that everyone thinks I am. I'm not. I'm just a scared shitless human who just wants to run under the covers and hide away from the world. I'm just weak."

The Queen turned towards me, an eyebrow quirked. "A Phoenix is one of the most powerful beings. Only the Gods can match the power. You can heal battle wounds, give life, kill a vampire with just a touch. You have powers that I could only dream of having. You are by no means weak, Ellie."

"Then how come I don't know a damn thing about anything I can do? I don't know how to do any of those things." I jumped off the bed, my frustration getting the best of me. "I'm not strong. I'm not powerful. If I was, then I would have been able to stop them before they even tried to rape me! But I didn't. Eric had to come along and save the day. Just like he always has to do." My eyes welled up with tears, a lump rising in my throat. "I don't deserve to be a phoenix."

Sophie-Anne was in front of me in a flash, a frown on her face. Even with such a serious expression, she seemed full of life and happiness. How was it that a vampire could appear that happy? She was nothing like I ever could have predicted. Before she could speak a word however, the door to the room burst open.

"My Queen..." Andre looked between us, a look of worry on his face.

"What is it Andre, I'm in the middle of something." A look of annoyance crossed Sophie-Anne's face as she glanced over her shoulder at Andre. The expression changed drastically however, and her head snapped back towards me. "There's trouble."

"What?" my voice was full of alarm.

"We're no longer alone. Or safe for that matter." The Queen tensed. "Is it Russell, Andre?"

"It is." Andre's eyes found mine. "And he's not alone."

"Of course not." She rolled her eyes. "He's never alone."

"We'll need to work fast; he's taking care of the guards as we speak."

"Are..."

"They're outside the door." Andre stepped in and shut the door. "But you know that will not be enough."

"I know, I know." Sophie-Anne sighed, her eyes finding mine. "Do you trust me, Ellie?"

"I..." I had just met her the other day, and yet, I knew exactly how to answer that question. "I do. What's going on? Why is Russell here?"

"He wants me to marry him." he shuddered. "I would never dream about it. He's a snake. But he's over 3000 years old; he knows how to be persuasive."

"If he finds me...I'm a good as dead." My breathing was growing faster.

"No. Much worse." She shook her head. "He'll use you. You must understand that. He won't kill you, but he'll enslave you until you pass the linage on, and then he'll control the next in line."

My face paled, almost matching the vampires before me. "What do we do?"

Sophie-Anne shared a look with Andre before she turned her attention back onto me. "I promise you protection. Whatever may happen, I give you my word that you will live and make it back to Shreveport or wherever it is you wish to go. However...I would like one thing in return."

I gulped. This couldn't have been good. I knew all of this protection had to come at a price. She had been the reason that Eric was selling V to begin with. She knew what she was doing when she asked him to do so, when she ordered him to sell the illegal drug. She knew it could come down to this, and hell, she could have sent the magister there herself. But when she found out what I was, she offered to protect me. There's always a but. There's always the fine print. I knew she would try and collect whatever it is she wanted one day, and that day seemed to be today.

But did that matter? Russell was here, the vampire that wanted me, that had Jeffrey working for him, had the Weres and god even knows what else coming after me. I couldn't live for centuries under his authority. I couldn't curse my potential daughter with that life. Whatever it is that the Queen wanted, my freedom has to mean more to me than to refuse to do as she wished.

"W-What is it?" I asked nervously.

"I've spent almost a millennium as a vampire, walking the earth under the moonlight. I've loved the life I made for myself, the company I've held." She glanced over at Andre. "I do not regret the decision I made to become a vampire. I do not miss anything from my former life. That is, except for one thing."

"What?" I raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"My heart beat."

"I-I don't understand."

The Queen smiled. "You can heal death."

"But...but that would kill me." My heart was racing like no other.

"If you gave one the entirety of your life, yes. But...I just wish for a few moments with a heartbeat. I want to feel it. I want to hear it. Just for a moment. The briefest of seconds. That's all I ask of you."

"I-I don't know how."

"These powers, they're inside of you." She raised a hand to cup my cheek. "All you need to do is believe in yourself."

"But...how?"

"You are a strong being. Powerful. You may not believe so yourself, but you are. Look deep within yourself. See the beauty and power that lays there."

"I'm not. I'm just weak." I shook my head.

"You are anything but weak. You have two vampires fighting for your affection. You allowed Godric to fly in the sunlight. You fought off a handful of vampires, multiple times in one night. You can move objects with your mind. You can do so much, and yet you believe you're a weakling. If you are weak, than I am nothing but an ant."

"How do you know I can do this?"

"Because, little phoenix, you are a miracle to this world. And call me naive, but I do believe in miracles. You are a powerful being, never forget that."

"We need to hurry, my Queen. I can hear them." Andre urged.

"There is no time now. But I ask that you give me your word, that once safety has come upon us, you'll give me this small gift. And in return, you will have complete and total safety, no matter where you are."

I glanced at Andre and saw the look of worry on his face and knew that the moment Russell found us, hell was going to break loose. Looked back at the Queen, and I could see the honesty in her usually brightened eyes. I never thought I would come to enjoy the presence of a vampire queen, one who I presumed to be evil and horrible. But she was anything but that. I could relate to her. I felt safe around her. There was nothing telling me that I couldn't trust her.

"I give you my word." I breathed out barely above a whisper.

But as the smile grew on her face, I knew he had heard me. "Andre?"

"Yes my Queen?" he stepped forward, ready to die for her I was sure.

"If Russell is able to take over the palace, I want you to stay at Ellie's side at all times."

"But Sophie..."

"No buts, Andre." She turned towards him, cupping his face in her hand. "You mean the world to me, my love. You have served me for centuries and have never left. That is why I can ask this of you. Pledge your allegiance to Russell, say whatever you must to gain his trust. And never leave her side. You cannot let him control her. Do this for me Andre."

"You are my master, I cannot." He shook his head.

"I ask you this, not as your maker, but as your friend, as your companion and lover. Russell doesn't want to harm me, he merely wants my Queendom. But he does want her. He will hurt her in whatever way he possibly can, knowing she cannot die. You must not let that happen. Protect her Andre."

A look of distraught crossed his face, but he nodded in agreement.

"Now, there's a disgusting snake of a vampire I need to take care of. Don't leave her side Andre." Sophie-Anne laid a kiss on both of his cheeks before sending me a small smile. "I will see you soon, Ellie. Perhaps we won't have Russell to deal with."

I hated that I didn't believe that. Because I had the most horrible feeling in the world that this wouldn't end so easily.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so I lied, no Eric and action in this chapter, but this chapter needed to happen. I know the show Sophie-Anne would probably never be this nice, but from the books, i feel like she could have been. She was much nicer, more humble, and more human in the books than she was portrayed in the show. I took her history from the books, so credit all goes to that. I personally liked her history, made her more...real i guess, more relatable.

And now the craziness begins. Russell is there, and if we all remember, Eric isn't far behind. What's Ellie going to do when she sees him?


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One:**

I could do nothing but sit there on the bed while Andre paced the length of the room. I didn't need to be a vampire to hear the screams of Sophie-Anne calling out for Hadley. From the look on Andre's face, I knew that the Queen had agreed to whatever Russell wanted. Even the strongest of vampires could be persuaded by death. I couldn't blame her. She was already doing everything she could to protect me by having Andre here at my side instead of hers. All I could hope for now was that Russell would have no idea that I was here, and that this surprise visit was just a coincidence. But there was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that this wasn't just a coincidence, that Russell somehow knew I was here. But the only one who could have known I was here was Eric, and I refused to believe that he had something to do with this. I couldn't. He told me to trust him and I was going to. I had to. It was the only thing getting me through this.

"Get into the bathroom." Andre suddenly stilled, his head snapping towards the door.

"What?" I looked between Andre and the door. "What's wrong?"

"Someone is coming." He grabbed my arm and pulled me up to my feet. "Get into the bathroom now. Hide yourself."

"But what about you?" My eyes were wide with fear.

"I can take care of myself." He stared down at me. "My concern is you. I will do as Sophie-Anne asked. I'll pledge my allegiance to Russell in order to keep you safe. But if there's a way to keep that from happening, than I will do everything in my power to try."

I gulped and nodded. He let go of my arm and I began towards the bathroom. I stopped however, and turned back towards Andre.

"Thank you Andre. You don't even know me; you don't have to be doing this. I know Sophie-Anne asked you to, but still, thank you."

"You are an exceptional human, Ellie, and an even more exceptional Phoenix. Do not let yourself believe you are anything but that." He offered a small smile before nodding his head at the bathroom. "Now go, and be as silent as you can."

I nodded and hurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I looked around the large bathroom, searching for something to barricade the door with. Seeing a vanity off to one side, thankfully not attached to the floor or wall, I went straight into action. I knew I would never be able to push it across the room to the door, but I could use the power that I did know how to use to do so. I placed myself in the middle of the room and tried my best to calm myself down. It was difficult of course, as I heard banging on the door to the bedroom. But I knew that if I didn't at least try to barricade the door, than I was as good as dead. A vampire might easily be able to break through, but I felt like I needed to do something, for my own peace of mind.

Focusing on the vanity, I breathed deeply and began imagining moving the large white piece of furniture across the room. It only took a moment until I could feel the familiar tingling surging through my body. I opened my eyes and saw the vanity slowly rising into the air, though it threatened to crash back down multiple times. I kept myself as concentrated as possible as I raised my hands and moved them from one side to the other, the vanity following the same path. It moved slowly, and I was afraid that it would drop before it made it to the door. But thankfully, it made it to the closed door before crashing down loudly on the floor. I staggered to the side, my energy being wiped out by the simple task. Even while being a powerful being, I seemed to still have my limits. I moved quickly to the closest wall and let my body lean against it, my eyes closing as I breathed in and out. It took a few moments, but soon enough I felt like I could stand on my own two feet once again. I was just about to push myself off the wall when I heard a loud crash in the bedroom, alerting me to another presence.

My heart began to quicken as I kept myself against the wall, wishing I could just melt right into it. I looked around, trying to find some other way to exit the room, but found no escape. There were no windows, much like the entire palace, and the only door was the one currently barricaded to keep out whoever was now in the other room. I was stuck, cornered even, and had nowhere to go. I was as good as dead, that's all I kept telling myself. Even if my unknown powers were triggered somehow, I was already weak from moving the vanity with my mind. I wouldn't be able to match a vampire, not one that could probably kill me before I even thought to use such power.

When a bang sounded at the door to the bathroom, I let out a small squeak of surprise before whimpering in fear. I couldn't do a damn thing but just stand there and wait for whoever it is to get in. If I knew whatever power I possessed, maybe I could think of something to do. But barricading the doors to make it more difficult for someone to enter was the only thing I could think of doing. Besides using the same powers against this vampire. But even then, I knew my energy wouldn't last long enough for it to do much to the vampire.

I was shaking from head to toe as the banging grew louder and louder before suddenly the vanity and the door were shoved across the room, the door being torn off of its hinges. My eyes were focused on the doorway, wide as saucers and full of fear. I was expecting Russell to come walking through the door, ready to kill me in an instant. I was however, not expecting Eric to come waltzing into the room, wearing the brightest shirt I think I've ever seen him in, only for it to be stained with blood. The sight of blood made my stomach churn, and I knew that instant that this wasn't my knight in shining armour sweeping in to save the day.

"Ellie..." he stepped into the room, his eyes going to the vanity and door for a brief moment before resting on me.

"W-why are you here?" I couldn't stop myself from shaking, my fear taking a hold of me.

Eric took another step forward, and I was beginning to wish one of my powers was the gift of invisibility.

"Y-You're supposed to be in Mississippi." My breathing grew harder. "You're supposed to be fixing our problem with the magister."

"I am." He tilted his head to the side, his eyes burning into me. Or really, his eyes were burning into my neck. "You've been bitten."

"What are you doing here, Eric?" My hands were clenched so tightly my fingernails began digging into the palm of my hand.

"Business."

"You told me to trust you."

"I did." He took another step forward, and another until he was only a foot away.

"Why are you here?"

He didn't answer and instead, raised one of his long arms, his hand brushing my hair away from my neck. I swallowed hard as he closed the gap between us, not knowing what he was planning on doing.

"Who bit you?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Who. Bit. You?" A hint of annoyance seeping into his tone.

"Why are you here Eric?" I continued to ask, ignoring his question.

"I asked you who bit you." His growled, his eyes narrowing as he glared down at me.

I bit down on my bottom lip to keep myself from whimpering. I don't believe I have ever felt this scared of Eric before. I had no idea what was possibly going through his head, what he was doing here or the reason behind it. But I did know one thing; his presence here, in this palace, it meant something. And unfortunately, I knew it wasn't in my favour.

"Please don't tell me your here to do what I think your here to do." I spoke barely above a whisper.

"Who bit you, Ellie?"

"Please tell me your here to protect me from Russell." My bottom lip began to tremble as he just stared down at me blankly. "What happened to keeping me safe and caring about me?"

"I never said I cared." His fingers trailed up and down my neck, causing me to wince as he applied pressure to my neck wound. I hadn't realized how painful it really was until now, the adrenaline masking whatever pain I should have been in. "Maybe you dreamed it."

It really did feel like my world was crashing down around me, and taking me down with it. "You've said I'm too important for anything to happen to a thousand times."

"You are too important." His fingers danced across my jaw, his thumb brushing my lips.

I trembled under his touch, but tried to keep myself composed. "Was everything that happened before we left Shreveport just an act? Was that just a way to get me to trust you? Do I matter at all to you?"

"There are bigger things going on right now than you."

"Godric was the one who bit me." I found myself blurting out, and regretting it instantly when I did. "He almost killed me. I wasn't breathing for an entire day. Didn't you feel that? Didn't you..."

"You mean nothing to me, understand?" Eric suddenly grabbed me by the neck roughly, pressing his thumb into my throat as his fangs clicked out. "I'm very close to getting something I've wanted since I was still human. Do not get in my way with your pathetic human emotions."

A tear slipped down my cheek as he applied a bit of pressure before pulling himself away from me, his fangs retracting. All I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry. And yet a part of me, a small bubbling part, was angry. He had been so vulnerable when we parted in Shreveport. We had what I thought to be a moment, just like I thought we did last night. I trusted him; I gave him my entire trust, my life in his hands. And he just pulled that from underneath me. I couldn't help but hate him for that, hate him for making me believe in him, only for him to let me down.

"I hate you." I whispered, my eyes blurring with tears. "I'll never forgive you for this, Eric."

"I don't need your forgiveness." He took another step back before surveying the room. His eyes landed on the vanity once again and he smirked. "Impressive."

"Please Eric, don't do this." I pleaded, though I knew it was absolutely useless. You couldn't plead with a vampire.

"Stop talking." He snapped.

"Godric will hate you for doing this."

"Apparently not. You seem to be getting on all of our nerves." He crossed his long arms over his broad chest, his smirk widening.

"Was everything just a lie?" I raised a hand up to rub at my eyes, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to pour down my cheeks. "Was everything you said last night just an act?"

He just continued to stare at me, causing my nerves to rise. I wanted him to do something, anything! He needed to take me to Russell already, or decide to help me. I couldn't take just waiting, wondering what he was going to do. I was an emotional wreck, for more than one reason, and I couldn't handle this. But he didn't move a muscle, didn't even blink, for so long. Minutes passed deadly slow, the silence in the room maddening. I couldn't take it, and after eying the door to the room, I shot towards it. I think my action surprised Eric at first, giving me the opportunity to make it to the door. Unfortunately, there was just no way to outrun a vampire. Eric caught my arm before I could take a step out of the bathroom, and I let out an audible scream, trying to struggle out of his grasp. He yanked be back into the room, shoving my back into the wall roughly.

"Feisty, aren't we?" he pinned my arms to the wall.

I attempted to kick at him to free myself, but he instead grew closer, our bodies so close together that I could no longer kick at him. I grunted in frustration but didn't stop struggling, trying my best to somehow break free from him.

"I would suggest stopping, Ellie, before you get me angry." He spoke dangerously low.

"I hate you, Eric. I hate everything about you." I refused to stop struggling, not wanting to be taken without a fight. "You made me fall in love with you, made me trust you, and then you do this!"

"I said stop." His hands tightened their grip on my arm.

"I will make you pay for this Eric." My anger got the better of me as I spat. Gone were the emotional tears. Gone was the desire to just curl up in a hole and never leave. Something had snapped within me as I glared up at those striking blue eyes. This damn Viking somehow managed to make me fall in love with him, make me trust whatever he says, and then he takes that away from me by doing this. I was tired of being betrayed, of being lied to. I was tired of running for my life, of being scared that the moment I even breathed, I would be attacked and killed because of what I was. I just wanted to live as much of a normal life as I possibly could, even if that life could last a good couple hundred years. And right now, the only person standing in the way of that was Eric Northman. He has caused me enough pain, enough anguish since the moment I met him. I was tired of it. I wasn't some weak little girl. The Queen believed that, as did Andre, and the owner of part of my soul, Kyra. I was a Phoenix, that had to mean something. Whether or not I understood it all, it didn't matter. I wasn't about to let my entire life get torn away from me because of some vampire King and an arrogant Viking.

"You're a weak little girl." He taunted. "You can do nothing to me."

That was what sent me over the edge. I couldn't take it any longer. The anger was boiling within me, and it was about to come bursting out. I was able to move my hands up just enough to reach his chest. I could feel the energy flowing through me, and despite the fact that I was already weakened from my last act of my power, I just didn't care.

"I hate you!"

Eric's eyes widened as an invisible force pushed him back, throwing him into the air and crashing him straight into the glass of the shower door. I could see the glass cutting into his body, blood beginning to pool on the ground. He would heal in only minutes of course, but I couldn't help but feel a surge of glee at making the vampire bleed.

"I'm. Not. Weak." I felt myself begin to shake, not in fear, but in anger. I took a step away from the wall and ignored the familiar tug at my energy.

Eric was on his feet quicker than I would have liked. He was enraged as he shot at me, only to be forced back by the invisible force once again. I held my hands out in front of me, breathing heavily as I caused the vampire to be thrown half way across the room. My heart was racing now as I felt blood trickling down from my nose. I knew I was overusing my powers, that I was rapidly growing weak. But I just couldn't stop. Every insult, every doubt, every lie, every heart break was hitting me all at once and I couldn't take it any longer.

The moment Eric was back on his feet, I knew he had noticed the blood. His fangs had clicked out and his body tensed. He stepped forward again, but I just pushed him back. Only with my weakening power and loss of energy, I only pushed him back a foot. He smirked as he continued forward. I continued to try and push him back, but I could barely stand on my own two feet anymore. My head began pounding, my legs wobbling as I fought to stay upright. Eric was only a foot away when I felt my body collapsing, my eyes blinking rapidly to try and stay conscious. He stood towering over me before kneeling down beside me.

"I'm not weak." I mumbled, my eyes snapping shut.

"No you are not."

* * *

**A/N:** bad Eric, bad bad Eric :( tho, as mean as he is, there's still a hint of him caring that she was bitten. What will happen now? will he take her to Russell? Or will he think twice and try and help her? I just wanted to take this time to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed...its amazing to see how many I've got for not just this story, but Make This Go On Forever. Puts a big smile on my face everytime I see a review in my inbox, it's what brightens my usually hard days lately. makes writing so worth it :) so thank you.


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two:**

I could feel myself coming to, but I refused to open my eyes or make a sound. I wasn't sure where I was, who I was with, and I truly just wanted this all to be a horrible nightmare I was going to wake up from any second now. I wanted what occurred in the bathroom to not have happened, that I had just imagined the whole altercation. I didn't want to believe that Eric could be that cruel to betray not only me, but Godric as well. We had separated when we left Shreveport because it was the best for all of our safety. I couldn't let myself believe that that could have just been Eric's plan all along; get me to the Queen's palace so Russell can attack. I just couldn't. My head was screaming at me that I was being an idiot, that it was the truth and I had to accept it. But my heart was praying that there was some other reason, that this wasn't really happening. How could Eric go from caring one night to handing me over to Russell the next?

"I know you're awake." Eric's voice broke through my thoughts.

The moment I heard his voice, my logical brain overtook my heart and I knew that this wasn't just a dream, that this was all very true. I kept my eyes squeezed shut, but I should have known Eric would have been able to tell the moment I woke up. I tried my best to keep completely still, as if it would help. Maybe if I tried hard enough, I would just disappear.

"Come on now, Ellie, open up." His voice was in my ear now, a finger lightly tapping my cheek. I could feel his body pressed against mine, fuelling my desire to not open my eyes. "Am I going to have to make you?"

After a moment of silence, I was hoping he had given up. But Eric Northman never gives up. I let out a gasp the moment his hand slipped under the bottom of the sundress I was still wearing. I tried to muffle the sound by biting down on my bottom lip, but it couldn't stop myself from jerking as his finger swiped across my panties. I tried wiggling away from him, but his body pressing into mine was enough to keep me still. I moaned once again as his fingers pushed passed the panties, diving right into me. My eyes flew open, growing wide at the movements of his fingers.

"Stop it!" I cried out, trying to push at his chest.

He snickered, his eyes moving up to meet mine. I could see the blood dripping down from his nose and ears, and wondered if he had stayed up the entire time, just waiting for me to wake up.

"Eric, stop!" I wiggled around again as his fingers continued. I tried not to moan in pleasure, hating that even now, Eric could still make me feel like I was floating on air. "Please."

For a moment I thought he would keep going, even against my wishes. But he surprised me by stopping, removing his hand and pulling himself off of me. I scrambled off the bed quickly, putting as much distance between Eric and me as I could. I backed up against a wall, my eyes never leaving Eric's smirking form. He stood on the other side of the bed, and I realized I was still in my bedroom at the palace.

"Put these on, we have places to be." He grabbed clothes that were sitting on a chair and tossed them at me. I let them just fall to the ground, still glaring at the Viking. He just stood there, his arms crossing, waiting for me to get undressed right in front of him.

"No." I replied defiantly. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"This isn't a time for arguing Ellie; just get dressed."

"No." I crossed my arms and shook my head, knowing full well it would anger Eric.

"Ellie." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, and I could see the annoyance swelling in his eyes. "For once Ellie, just cooperate."

"I'm not going to let you take me to that...to that snake." I referred to him just as Sophie-Anne had. I may not know Russell, but I believed what I heard about the 3000 year old vampire. I had once thought that with age, the vampire became aware of their humanity after millenniums of pain and horror. But I see now that Godric was just special; Russell didn't sound like he had a humane bone in his body. Eric looked like a puppy against such an evil monster.

Eric smirked as he walked around the bed. "You're quite taken with the Queen, aren't you? A budding friendship. She's not as innocent as you might think, Ellie."

"She's done nothing but protect me." I defended the Queen. "Unlike you."

Something snapped within the blonde Viking. He was before me in a flash, his hand painfully wrapped around my throat. He had me lifted off the ground before I even had a chance to realize what was happening. He held me up to eye level, my legs kicking the air between me and the floor. I grasped at his hand, the pressure he was applying enough to cease the oxygen from my lungs. I attempted to kick my legs at him, but they did nothing but force his hand to tighten.

"Do not assume you know what is going on here, Ellie." His eyes were narrowed, his fangs out on display. "I spent countless nights protecting you, you ungrateful brat. I could have let you die horrible deaths, but I didn't, now did I? Do not, for one minute, tell me that I haven't protected you. You know nothing."

As blackness began to sweep across my vision, my eyes watering, his hand suddenly let me go. I crumbled to the floor, his tall form towering over me. I curled up into a ball, the fear nearly choking me. My heart was racing so hard I was sure it was going to leap out of my chest. I tried to calm myself down, but I couldn't stop the tear that slid down my cheeks.

"I hate you." I whispered, slowly turning my head up towards him.

"I know you do." His tone was full of bitterness as he stared down at me out of disgust. "I can feel how much you wish you could hurt me."

"I will." I pulled myself together just enough to draw myself up to my knees, using the wall as leverage as I managed to stand on my shaking legs. "One day, I swear I'll pay you back for this."

"Don't bother with the threats." His face was only inches from mine. "You can do nothing to me but silly little parlour tricks."

"One day."

"If you manage to live that long." His hand reached up to grab a chunk of hair. For a moment, I thought he would bite me, his fangs so close to my neck. But he didn't. Instead, he pulled me away from the wall by the hair. He pushed me through the bathroom door so hard that I was sent to the cold tiled ground littered in glass from when I had thrown him into the shower door. "You have five minutes to get dressed. I will not ask you again. Don't make me hurt you more than I already have, Ellie."

The clothes he had thrown at me only moments ago were tossed back at me. Eric walked across the bedroom, out of sight from where I was strewn on the floor. I whimpered as I brushed the glass away, pulling small pieces out of the palms of my hands and my knees. I noticed a cut on my leg, and I cursed under my breath, grabbing a towel that was on the ground and held it to the wound. I wrapped it around my leg for the moment as I slowly drew myself to my feet, looking down at the simple jeans and t-shirt that lay at my feet. Sighing, I knew I had no other choice than to comply and get changed. I could just imagine what Eric would do if I didn't do so. I peeled the dress off of me before slipping on the t-shirt that seemed to fit me perfectly. I ignored this fact and checked on my leg wound, frowning when I saw that it was still bleeding fairly heavily. I couldn't put jeans on over this, it would jut stain the fabric. I would be walking around with blood covering my clothes for the rest of the day, that was not something that I could allow. One sniff of my blood and I would have ever vampire in this palace, good and bad, all over me. The same would be said for wherever Russell planned on taking me.

Seeing no other option but wondering if he would even do a thing about it, I called out to Eric.

"What?" He snapped before his eyes zeroed into the problem instantly. "You have a knack for getting yourself hurt."

"You threw me into the glass." I threw the bloodied towel at him. "Are you just going to let me walk about with my leg bleeding? I won't survive even a second outside of this room."

"And that is my problem how?" He raised an eyebrow.

My face fell. I had been hoping, praying really, that perhaps if he saw me in pain something would change in the vampire. But nothing did. He didn't care. He never had. He was just using me as some toy to trade away. That was all he saw me as. I was stupid for thinking anything else.

"Get on the counter."

I blinked back the tears and shook my head. Eric growled in frustration as he walked over and grabbed me by the arm before pulling me to the sink counter, lifting me up onto it. I felt completely numb as he did so, as if I wasn't even there. If this was what it felt like to have a broken heart, than I never wanted to love ever again in my life. This was just too painful.

"Do not cry." He ordered as he lifted my leg up, inspecting the wound.

"Don't." I squirmed. "You don't care. Just leave me alone. Leave me to die. I don't care anymore." I nearly choked on my words as the emotions spilled out of me.

"Do not give me that attitude, Elizabeth." His voice was cold as he grasped my chin tightly and forced me to stare up into his blue eyes. "No one will care to have you dead in a mere second, surely not the king."

I squeezed my eyes shut as he let go of my chin. I heard the familiar sickening sound of him biting into his wrist, and I immediately knew what he was going to do.

"You need to drink, Ellie." He pressed the bloodied wrist to my closed lips.

I shook my head wildly, attempting to scurry away from him and off the counter. He held me in place however, his arm sliding around my waist and pulling me to him. I kept my mouth closed, though the smell of his blood set me off. When did I get to a point that the smell of his blood was actually intoxicating? Sure, by now I had become accustomed to the taste, and actually enjoyed it. But the smell? I had always thought it smelt horrid in the past. But not now. Something about it made me want to actually lick at his wound, to open my mouth against my better judgement. And I found myself doing so. I moaned the moment the blood touched my tongue, the taste too sweet to even describe. I couldn't help myself as I grabbed his wrist and pulled it closer, now sucking at the wound hungrily. I could feel the effects almost instantly. Not only was the cut on my leg closing, but I felt my energy returning to me. There was a surge of strength that ploughed through me as I continued to drink.

But there was also something different. Much different. The longer I drank from me, the more in tune I became to emotions that I was certain weren't mine. I wanted to stop, to push him away to make the confusing thoughts and desires stop. But I just couldn't. I couldn't stop, even if I wanted to.

"That's enough." He had to pry his wrist away from my hands. The moment the wrist left my lips, the blood supply ending, I made a sound of annoyance and licked my lips, wanting every single possible drop. I hated myself for doing so, but it felt like I wasn't even myself. The emotions, the ones that clashed with my own, were building up within me, taking over. I clutched at my head, the swirling thoughts too much to handle.

"W-what's wrong with me?" I groaned out.

"It seems we're completely bonded now." Eric mused, clasping my chin with one hand and raising my head up. He used his thumb to wipe away the blood, a smirk forming on his lips. "We've shared blood more times than what should normally be. You can feel me now, isn't that right Ellie?"

"It won't stop." I gritted my teeth, trying my hardest to block out the invading emotions. "Make it stop."

"Shush now Ellie." His hands rose up to my temple, rubbing soft circles. I let my hands drop down to my side, momentarily forgetting what was going on around us in this palace. My thoughts were not focused on Russell and the fact that Eric was here to hand me over. The thoughts and emotions were just too much to possibly concentrate on anything else. "Just breathe. You can block it out if you try."

"Is this what you feel?" I asked in a whimper.

"Oh what I feel is much stronger. You are a very emotional being." He explained, his voice softer than I had ever remembered it to be. I leaned into his touch by instinct, my thoughts no longer my own. "Concentrate Ellie. Control it."

"Too...hard." I closed my eyes tightly.

"Were you not the one who threw me across this very room?" He questioned, tapping my cheek until I opened my eyes. "Were you not the one to nearly burn a group of vampires to their true death? Were you not the one who allowed Godric to fly in the sunlight? You are so determined to prove that you are not weak, and yet here you are."

I whimpered in response, knowing he was completely right. But I just didn't know what to do to control everything that I was feeling, most of it not my own.

"Focus Ellie. Focus on what you're feeling. Focus on me." he cupped both of my cheeks, his blue eyes searching mine. "Prove to me that you are not weak."

His eyes were so hypnotizing, yet I knew he was not glamouring me. I inhaled sharply as I stared into those captivating eyes, the very eyes that I had fallen in love with. At that very moment, I didn't care about the king, about where we were. I didn't care that Eric was betraying me. I didn't care that my life as I knew it was forever going to change. None of that mattered, not right now at least. I just stared into those eyes, and I listened. It wasn't to spoken words however, but to the thoughts, the desires, every single emotion that swept through me with such force that I just wanted to curl up and cry. I had never felt so many things at once before, it was overwhelming. But I did as he said, I just focused on him. Those eyes were enough to calm me, to keep my concentration. It wasn't long until I began to understand what was occurring inside of me.

I was feeling him. I was feeling every single possible emotion that the supposed emotionless vampire felt. Every thought he held, every desire, it was flowing through me. It was difficult to decipher, almost as if there everything was muffled. But as I just sat there staring into his eyes, everything came so clear. It was like I could hear everything he was thinking, as if I had stolen Sookie's gift for a moment. I wasn't sure if this was normal for such a bond, but somehow I knew that it wasn't; that this was something special. I let myself just listen, let myself become consumed by the man before me.

_She will be mine, only mine._

_No one will have her, not even Godric._

_I want to take her, ravish her right here and now._

_She needs to understand..._

_He must pay for what he has done!_

_A thousand years...revenge will be mine!_

I could feel such sadness seeping out of the vampire standing in front of me, trying to make me understand without uttering a word. It nearly broke my already broken heart. I raised a hand up his chest, stopping just above where his heart should be. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, a spark happened between my hand and his chest. I jumped at the unexpected occurrence, my hand about to snap off of his chest. But Eric held it there, his eyes closing. His arm slid back around my waist, sliding me closer to him as warmth was created between our connected flesh. I couldn't understand it, but I knew that there were still so many unanswered questions left to be figured out. This was just one of them.

"What did he do to you?" I asked softly, raising my other hand up to cup his cheek, caressing the skin with my thumb.

The question seemed to bring Eric back to the present, everything changing so quickly. His arms fell back down to his side and he took a step away from me, forcing my own hands off of him. I frowned as I stared at the anger and rage that was hiding beneath those blue orbs.

"What did Russell do to cause you so much pain?" I questioned, slipping off the counter to move closer to him.

"Stay back." He moved farther back, holding out an arm between us to stop me. "Do not move."

"Are you here to hand me over to him, Eric?" I asked bluntly, needing to know the truth. Despite what my head was screaming at me, I was beginning to follow my heart. There was something amiss, something that I was beginning to understand now. I could feel the pain that Eric was trying to keep bottled up, a pain that I believe he hasn't felt since he was human. I could feel everything that he was, and I wanted was to take him in my arms and tell him it was all going to be alright.

"You were stupid to believe that I was."


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three:**

"_You were stupid to believe that I was."_

"Then why are you here?" I asked, my eyes wide with wonder.

Eric didn't answer as he just stood there, looking to the side instead of at me. I slowly stepped forward, laying my hand above his heart once again. The shock didn't occur, unlike the last time, but I could feel a deeper connection than I ever had before with the vampire. His eyes closed and I felt the tension in his body leave almost instantly. I knew I was doing something, whether it was conscious or not. But I was helping him, calming the vast amount of emotions that were flowing not only through him, but now through me. I refused to remove my hand, even when he tugged at my wrist. I needed answers; I needed to understand what was going on. I was ready to just throw up the white flag and give up, but now there was a little pinch of hope that everything could change, that not all was lost.

"Eric, please." I pleaded with him softly. "Why are you here?"

"We need to go." He spoke gruffly, pulling my hand away and turning on his heel.

"Eric..."

Eric just walked out of the room and into the bedroom. I sighed as I stared after him, still confused as to why he was even here. I needed something, anything, that would make me believe him. I so wanted to believe that he was here to protect me. But how could I trust him now? Even by feeling everything that he did, there were just too many doubts. How was I sure that he wasn't just faking those feelings to get me to believe him? There were just too many questions, and not enough answers.

Determined to get to the bottom of this, I slipped on the pair of jeans still on the floor, and stormed out into the bedroom. I glared at the Viking as he perched himself against the door, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"I need to know what's going on here, Eric." I crossed my arms as well as I stood across from him.

"This isn't the time." He turned his head to the side, his eyes closing.

"Eric!"

"I said now isn't the time, Ellie." He snapped, his eyes opening to glare at me. "Keep your voice down."

"No." I refused.

"Then by all means, hand yourself over to the king."

"Well how do I know you won't do that yourself?" I shot back.

"You trust me." He stated simply, turning his head back away. "Don't take this the wrong way, Ellie, but shut up."

"I'm not going to shut up! Tell me what's going..." I never had the chance to finish however, before I found myself pinned on the bed, Eric's hand clasped over my mouth.

"I would suggest, unless you would like to serve the King for the rest of your life, that you remain quiet." Eric growled lowly in my ear, his fangs out as he nipped at my earlobe. "Use that pretty little head of yours¸ Ellie. You already know the answers to your questions."

His fangs grazed my neck, careful though not to nick the skin. He kissed the base of my neck of my neck softly before pulling away, his blue eyes staring down at me.

"Are we going to behave and be quiet?"

I was glaring darkly at him, but had no other choice but to agree. I nodded my head, and his hand removed from my mouth. I wanted to lash out at him, scream at the top of my lung, but I couldn't. I knew he was right. The King would come running if he heard me kicking and screaming. I wasn't sure what it was that Eric was doing, but I wouldn't be able to figure it out if I was being forced to serve the King. All I could do is hope that my aching heart would lead me in the right direction, and that I could somehow trust Eric. I was never going to be sure that he was speaking the truth, or that even his thoughts and emotions weren't just fake. I don't think I ever would be able to truly trust him again. But perhaps I needed to give him a little faith. He hadn't handed me over to the King as of yet, maybe there was still a little hope left.

"Good girl." He smirked as he raised himself off of me only to resume his stance beside the door.

I sighed and pushed myself up into a sitting position, pulling my legs up to my chest as I sat and thought. I closed my eyes as I tried to draw in Eric's emotions. I wondered if it would always be this mind blowing, this intense. Would I always be nearly knocked off my feet when I was around him? Would I be able to feel him, even miles apart? I knew Godric and Eric could feel my emotions wherever I tend to be. Would it be the same for me? I didn't quite understand this new deeper bond that Eric and I shared, not totally sure I even wanted it. Maybe I could block it out somehow, like I could block out a vampire's attempts to glamour me and Sookie trying to read my mind. But did I want to block Eric out? I felt more connected to him than I ever had. I could feel everything he was feeling; know what he was truly thinking. Did I really want to just end that bond? I wasn't quite sure.

As I sat there, trying to decipher Eric's emotions, I began to feel an odd sense of calm come over me. I frowned as it surged through my entire being, my body relaxing into the feeling. I knew it wasn't coming from me; I didn't feel one ounce of calm. I couldn't possibly relax in a situation like this. My eyes popped open and I glanced over at Eric, who was staring at me with a blank expression on his face.

"Are you..." I momentarily forgot that I was supposed to be quiet.

"You're supposed to be quiet." The corner of his lips curled upwards into a smirk.

"You're supposed to be getting us out of here, not making me feel calm." I shot back, rolling my eyes. When I realized what I had said, I froze, my eyes widening. The words of trust, or believing him, had just slipped out. I wasn't even entirely certain that this was what Eric was even trying to do. But something had caused me to just blurt that out.

"Finally trusting me?" He crossed his arms.

"I...I didn't mean to say that." I muttered, closing my eyes once again.

"Of course not." He snickered. "I told you to trust me, Ellie."

"Shut up, I'm trying to be quiet."

He snorted but fell silent, leaving me to my thoughts. My eyes were squeezed shut as I attempted to understand not only Eric's emotions, but my own. I so wanted to believe that Eric was here to do good, and not to cruelly hand me over. And I suppose part of me already believed him. But there was that one part of me, a rather large part of me, that couldn't believe him, not yet. He couldn't just do a 180 and expect my trust. He waltzed in here and acted like he wanted nothing more than to take me to Russell. How was I supposed to believe any different? He physically assaulted me, threw me into a pile of glass and then thought giving me blood would solve everything. When had he ever spoken a kind word to me? One that wasn't insulting or confusing? I couldn't think of a time. So what gave me the right to actually believe that he cared enough to be here, to be helping me instead of betraying me?

Why was this so hard? Why couldn't I just trust him? Or why couldn't I just hate him and call it a day? Why did everything have to be so damn confusing? I knew my love for him was blinding me from what could be the truth. I tried desperately to not let it, but I couldn't help but want to see the good in him. And there was the matter of his thoughts in the bathroom. He was possessive of me; why would he just hand me over to the King if he wanted me all for himself? He said I needed to understand, that he needed to get revenge against _him_. Was _him_ the king? What had Russell done to Eric? What could the King of Mississippi do to hurt a thousand year old vampire that was cold hearted?

"_I'm very close to getting something I've wanted since I was still human."_

His words were of anger, but I could tell now that they were spoken in truth. Had Russell done something to Eric while he was still human? What could he have possible done to cause so much pain and anger in the blonde Viking? I wanted to ask him, but I knew better. He hadn't responded well to the questions in the bathroom, I doubt anything had change within the past few minutes.

"It's time." Eric straightened.

My eyes snapped open and I tensed. "Time for what? You're not taking me to him, are you?"

"I thought we already went through this?" Eric rolled his eyes as he strolled over and grabbed my arm, pulling me off of the bed. "We don't have much time."

"Where are we going?" I questioned as Eric tore open the door.

"You need to stay quiet." He dragged me down the hallway, his long legs creating a pace I had to jog to keep up to.

I opened my mouth to retort, but I heard voices coming around a corner and I completely froze. Eric must have already heard the voices as he tugged me along, only faster. He grunted in frustration when I began to hold him back, and he swept me up into his arms without even a word. I bit down hard on my bottom lip, so hard that I knew I was going to draw blood. But it was the only thing keeping me from panicking. I could hear the loud yells of the Queen coming from behind us, screaming yet again for Hadley. There was another voice with her however, a males voice that I didn't recognize. It must have been Russell. I pushed at Eric's shoulder, silently trying to get him to hurry up. The only relief I felt was that Eric was walking away from the King, and not towards him. Maybe I could trust him.

I squeaked in surprise when I felt Eric begin to use his vampire speed, wind whipping my hair into my face. I dug my head into his shoulder, my eyes clamped shut as I silently prayed that the King wouldn't find us. I had no idea where we were going, and wasn't even aware when we had stopped until Eric was lowering me down onto my feet. I wobbled, my legs shaking as I looked around and realized we were in the Queen's office. I went to question Eric why we were here, when I saw Andre standing by a bookcase, alive and well.

"You're okay." I found my voice, glad Andre was alright. I feared that Eric had hurt him, or better yet, killed him.

"I'm fine, little phoenix." Andre assured me with a smile. "We must go, there isn't much time."

"The sun will be setting in only a few hours." Eric looked towards the door. "We'll be leaving for Fangtasia at that time."

"We'll wait until you're gone before we leave." Andre nodded.

I looked between Eric and Andre as they continued their conversation on the escape. It was dawning on me that Eric wasn't incorporating himself into the equation, and my panic began to rise once again.

"You're not coming with?" I looked up at Eric, horrified that he was going to stay with the King.

"I can't, Ellie. I need the King to deal with the Magister." He wouldn't catch my eye.

"What happened to just finding Bill? That's who the Magister wants."

"Compton is no longer part of the plan."

"But..." I tried to wrap my mind around it all. "So you're just going to go to Fangtasia with the King. What then?"

"You will be safe, that's what will happen." Eric's eyes finally found mine. "You and Andre will go to my home; Godric should be there. Under no circumstance are you to go to Fangtasia tonight."

"But Eric..."

"No buts, Ellie." Eric shook his head, a stern look on his face. "I told you to trust me. I'm not handing you over to the King. Don't do anything stupid that will find you back in this predicament."

"Eric..." I tried to reason.

"You need to leave. Russell will just assume you have escaped on your own. He won't expect you to return to Shreveport, it would be too obvious. Andre is already believed to be dead by the King." Eric laid his hands on my shoulder, squeezing them softly. "You need to leave, Ellie."

I shook my head. "But you...what about you?"

"There are things I must do."

"Like getting revenge? What did he do to you Eric?" I pressed, trying to draw out as much time as I could with him.

Eric tensed at the mention of the past and looked away. "I'll come to you and Godric when I'm finished."

"Finished what? Eric please, don't do something stupid to get yourself killed." I reached up to the hands on my shoulders and clasped them. "How the hell am I supposed to trust you if you're dead."

"Well I will just have to make sure I don't die." He lowered down to my eye level. My eyes watered with tears as I stared into those captivating blue eyes. "I will be fine, Ellie. Do not worry yourself over me. Concern yourself with finding safety."

"I hate you for doing all of this to me." my voice was barely above a whisper. "Why couldn't you just be a knight in shining armour instead of a jackass?"

"That would ruin my reputation." He chuckled, his hand moving to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "You need to be strong, Ellie."

"You don't think I am."

"When have you ever listened to me?" he smirked.

I swallowed hard, a lump rising in my throat. "I'm going to kick your ass when this is all over."

"We'll see about that." he grasped my chin. "Now go. Andre and Godric will keep you safe. Whatever pathetic argument you and Godric are having, it needs to end now. For all of our sakes.

I just nodded as his thumb soothed away the tears, at least for now. I couldn't stop myself from pushing my lips against his, scared to think that this may very well be the last time I would see him. Eric deepened the kiss almost immediately, a hand moving around to the back of my neck to pull me closer. My hands ran up his chest, trying to memorize every crevice, every perfection. I could feel both of our emotions over take me, nearly making me pull back. But I didn't. I couldn't. I just wanted to stay like this for the rest of my life, to never leave Eric. He was going to get himself killed for whatever reason he had. I may hate him, I may not know if I could trust him, but there's no denying that I loved him despite all of that. I was an idiot too, a fool to have such feelings for this blonde Viking. But I couldn't help myself. My heart was aching for him, and we hadn't even parted yet. I couldn't even think how painful it would be if Eric were to ever die. Was this how Kyra had felt towards Godric?

"Please don't die." I whispered against his lips as he pulled back only an inch.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He laid one last kiss on my lips before straightening and taking a step back. "Go Ellie. And don't get yourself killed."

I stared up into those blue eyes of his, the emotions pouring out of him and into me.

"I still hate you."

"You won't after I ravish you. And I do promise to do so the next time we meet." A sly look crossed his face. "No more silly rules."

"I'll still hate you." I promised.

He just chuckled as Andre came up from behind me, his hand circling around my arm.

"We must go, little phoenix. There's another exit the King doesn't know about." He tugged me towards the bookcase.

I let him pull me over, all while my eyes never leaving Eric's. I barely paid any attention as Andre pushed aside the bookcase in only one push, revealing an old worn door.

"Keep safe." Eric nodded at us as Andre pulled open the door.

"The Queen..." Andre began.

"She won't be harmed." Eric assured. "Go."

Andre nodded and slipped his hand into mine. "It'll be dark, little Phoenix; you'll need to trust me."

I nodded numbly, hardly even hearing what he had said. As Eric stepped forward, to close the door and push the bookcase back, another tear slipped down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away and looked away, not able to stare at the vampire any longer, too scared that it would be the last time. Andre began through the door, stone walls surrounding us as stairs appeared. I had to squint into the pure darkness, my heart skipping a beat. The only light was coming from the open doorway, light that was soon going to disappear.

"I've got you, little phoenix, don't worry." Andre promised, as if reading my mind.

I put my trust and life in his hands as he began to lead me slowly down the steps. Creaking sounded behind us, and I attempted to look back up the stairs to the door, but all I saw was darkness as the door was closed. I gulped, turning my concentration back on the stairs we were travelling down. I could only hope that this new plan would work; that we would get to Shreveport without being detected, and that Eric would arrive there soon enough and preferable alive.

* * *

**A/N:** have I ever told you guys how amazing your reviews are? I seriously get fired up and passionate about writing this story even more every time I read your reviews. you guys are the best readers I could possibly ask for :) and since your so amazing, I wanted to get your opinion...I've been thinking about making a third installment of this lovely series, incorporating the fourth season (well my version). I had the rest of this fic planned, and I fear that the ending will make you all hate me so much that you may just need another story. so, what do you guys think?


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four:**

I shivered from where I sat on the dirty path, my back leaning against the damp stone of the underground tunnel. We had walked for what only felt like seconds before stopping by what was supposed to be the exit. And here we've been for the past hour, waiting for the sun to set. It was absolutely freezing down here, and I couldn't wait to get above ground where the Louisiana air would be a little less cold. It didn't help matters that I was only wearing a thin t-shirt, my arms bare. Andre had attempted to warm me, but with his ice cold skin, it didn't help as much as I would have liked. All I could do was sit there, on the floor, curled up with my arms around my legs. Andre sat across from me, though I couldn't see him at all. Pure blackness surrounded us, and I actually wished I was a vampire just so I could see. For all I knew, there could have been mouse scurrying around me. I shuddered at the thought and began rubbing my hands together to generate heat.

"Not much longer, little Phoenix." Andre promised.

"I might be an ice cube before we get out of here."

"I wish I could do more for you."

"It's alright Andre." I offered him a smile, knowing he would be able to see it even in the darkness. "You're doing enough for me by getting me out of here."

We both fell back into silence, counting the minutes down until we could escape this underground hell. I closed my eyes, leaning my head back and trying to think of anything but how cold I was. I tried to think of a time when I was wrapped in warmth, when I was happy. I smiled to myself as the memory of my brother and I laughing together in the warm Texas sun flashed before my eyes. I wondered how he would have taken all of this, how he would react to me being some rare mystical being. Would he have been freaked? Or would he have loved me unconditionally like he always promised he would. I wished he was here, to help guide me through this. He had been such an important part of my life, a parent to me when we had lost ours. Perhaps if he hadn't died, I wouldn't have found myself in this situation to begin with. I would have found out about my powers eventually, but at least I would be far from here and safe with my brother. But did I really believe that? These people would have been searching for me no matter what. They would have known I was out there, and would have come looking eventually. My brother would have done anything for me, including sacrificing his life to save mine. I would never have forgiven myself if he had gotten killed because of these vampires for my sake. At least he had died in a natural way, instead of in a cruel, horrifying way.

I sighed heavily to myself as an unknown warmth engulfed my body. A tingling began in my rubbing hand and reached my nearly frozen toes. I knew simply rubbing my hands together couldn't have created such a thing, and I opened my eyes to understand what was happening. My mouth dropped open, my eyes widening as I saw a faint red glow between my hands. I ceased rubbing and spread my hands apart by an inch, amazed at the glow that remained. It reminded me of what had occurred when the vampires attacked me in Fangtasia, except that had attempted to fry a half a dozen vampires, not for the purpose of keeping me warm.

"Absolutely amazing." I could faintly see Andre's form inching closer.

Scared that if he came close enough, he would burn like the Magister's vampires, I hugged my hands to my chest, the warmth growing in my body.

"I wouldn't if I were you. Last time this happened half a dozen vampires got nastily burned." I warned. "I don't even know what I'm doing or how I'm doing it."

"Phoenixes are the daughters of the sun." Andre explained. "You're the daughter of rays of sunshine, of warmth. You're only using your natural gifts to keep yourself warm."

"Wow." I stared down at my hands in wonder. "How come this has never happened before?"

"You've lived in Texas your whole life, have you not?"

"Until I came to Louisiana." I nodded. "It's not just a coincidence that I happened to live in two of the warmer states, is it?"

"I suspect not." I could just barely see Andre smile, the glow from my hands dimly lighting up the underground tunnel. "You truly are a remarkable girl, Ellie."

"Apparently." I squinted as I took in Andre's appearance. "Andre, you're bleeding."

"I'm fine, little phoenix."

"No you're not. You have the bleeds." I pointed out, a frown forming on my face. "Maybe we should rest before going anywhere."

"I'm many centuries old, I'll be alright." He assured.

"Do you...do you need blood?" I asked hesitantly, biting my bottom lip.

"I will be fine for now."

I was surprised by his answer. If I had asked that of anyone else, they would have asked to drink my blood for nourishment. But Andre did not. Perhaps not all vampires were cruel and evil creatures. Andre seemed anything but that. It was a nice change from those trying to capture me.

"Well I don't mind." It was the truth. I really didn't mind offering my blood to Andre. I trusted him, even though I had only known him for a few days. He had certainly proven that he was a noble creature, one worthy of my trust.

"I wouldn't dream of it, little phoenix. You're blood is too pure."

"Do I really smell different than everyone else?" I asked curiously. "Is my blood really that intoxicating?"

"Without even a single drop spilt, you're blood draws us in. You smell like the sun, like the most delicious thing I had ever smelt in my life." he smiled. "You are like nothing I could ever have pictured."

"So my blood really is like a drug then."

"Indeed. I haven't even had a drop of your blood and I can practically taste you." He admitted. "It takes a lot of strength to not want to drink from you."

"You're incredibly noble, Andre. If I offered my blood to any other vampire, they would have gladly said yes."

"I was taught even in my human years to respect and honour the gods. You are as close to a god that I believe I shall ever come to meet. I have the highest respect for you, my little phoenix."

I smiled widely and looked down at my hands. "I do hope we can be friends after this, Andre. I really like you; you don't want to rip my throat out."

Andre chuckled. "I would be honoured to have you as a friend."

"Well then, I guess we're just going to have to get out of this alive then." I shifted on the ground.

"Which we can continue to do so." Andre stood suddenly. "The sun has set."

"Oh finally!" I used the wall to push myself up, staggering slightly. I shook my hands slightly, and was amused to find the glow fading. "Well that' helpful."

"Shall we, Ellie?" Andre's hand found my elbow.

"Lead the way."

* * *

"I can't believe you stole a car." I shook my head and laughed as Andre drove the stolen car down the freeway.

"If they were to return to the palace and noticed one of the cars gone, they would have been suspicious." Andre answered, his ice blue eyes finding mine. "You're finding this amusing."

"I've never been involved with stealing a car before. It's rather exciting." I grinned back at him.

Andre chuckled and shook his head as he continued to drive. I knew it would be a fairly long drive, even with the speed Andre was going. I leaned back against the seat, laying my head on the cool glass window. I was glad for the heat coming from the car, not wanting to use up all of my energy keeping myself warm.

"Are you warm enough?" Andre asked.

"Mhmm." I nodded, closing my eyes in content. "I don't understand why I'm so tired. I've been unconscious longer than I've been awake these past few days."

"You've gone through quite the ordeal, little phoenix. It's only natural."

"I suppose so."

"Sleep. We'll be driving for quite awhile." He urged.

"I feel bad." I admitted, opening my eyes to look at him out of shame. "You're the one who should be resting, not me."

Andre smiled. "You are quite something, worrying over a vampire."

"We're friends remember. Friends worry about each other."

"I'm afraid I haven't had a friend in many centuries."

"Well that's alright. I'll teach you everything you need to know. Starting with, I'm afraid to say Andre, but you drive like a lunatic." I laughed.

Andre just smirked and swerved the car in between two others. I yelped in surprise and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Just for that, I am going to sleep. I think I'll grow grey hairs if I stay awake to watch you drive."

"As you wish, little phoenix." He snickered.

I rolled my eyes and settled back in my former position. I let my eyes close, a smile on my face as I let my thoughts drift, taking my consciousness with it.

* * *

I woke to a slew of curses emitting from the vampire beside me. I groaned, my eyes cracking open. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I glanced out the window, finding us driving down a dark road, no lights in sight. I raised an eyebrow and shot Andre a look, hoping we didn't end up getting lost.

"Everything okay, Andre?" I asked, sitting of straight and squinting out the windshield. "Where are we?"

"I had to take a detour." He answered simply.

"Okay." I glanced back at Andre, taking in his tensed body and frowning face. "What's wrong?"

"I passed the King's limousine."

My eyes grew wide. "Uh oh. See this is what happens when you drive extremely fast; you catch up to the people we're supposed to be behind."

He shot me a look, and I immediately grew silent.

"I got off at the next exit. I don't believe they noticed anything. I've been driving aimlessly for the past hour." He sighed, his voice full of agitation. "I'm losing my concentration; I need to feed."

"Oh, you should have just said so." I shifted in the seat and held out my wrist. I frowned when Andre turned his head away from me, the car swerving as he did so. I snapped my hand back down into my lap, waiting for Andre to get the car straightened. "Andre, you need to feed. It doesn't look like there's anyone else around. I'm offering you my blood."

"I cannot."

"Yes you can, and you have to." I insisted. "I'm telling you to drink my blood."

"I may not be able to stop."

"Well it's handy that I can't exactly die without another Phoenix to take my place." I offered him a small smile. "It's okay Andre. I understand. You need blood, and I'm here. If you don't get blood...well I don't know what will happen, but I'm sure it won't be pretty."

Andre growled softly, but turned towards me. I heard his fangs descending before I saw them, the guilt hidden in his eyes. I smiled wider, laying a hand on his cheek, silently assuring him that it was alright. I lifted my wrist up towards him and waited until his hand wrapped around my hand, drawing it closer. I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply as I waited for him to sink his fangs into me. I was expecting it to hurt more than it did, only wincing when his fang slid into the pulsing blue vein. I suspected Andre was doing everything he could to make it as painless as possible, not wanting to discomfort me in any way. He really was unlike any vampire I've ever met before. At least one positive came out of this ordeal; I had a feeling that once this was over and done with, Andre and I would have a close bond. I already felt like I could trust him and the Queen with my life. It assured me that I wasn't just trapped in Shreveport, that I had others that I could turn to besides Godric and Eric. And considering my lingering issues with both vampires, I had a feeling I'll be finding myself in New Orleans quite a bit.

I didn't even realize Andre was done until I felt his tongue lap up the remaining dripping blood. I opened my eyes and watched as he sliced his own tongue with a fang before licking at my wrist once again to close the wound. I could see the shame crossing his face as he lowered my wrist, unable to meet my gaze.

"It's alright Andre, it barely even hurt." I patted his arm. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am." He nodded, his eyes finally rising to meet mine. "I am truly sorry it came to that, little phoenix."

"Don't be. I'm glad I could help." I smiled. "Now, what do you propose we do? We should have stolen a car with a GPS."

I could see the corner of his lips curl upwards into a smile. Happy that I was able to ease the vampire's mind, I squinted back out into the darkness to try and think of something we could do. After a moment, an idea came to me and I turned back to Andre.

"Are you able to track the Queen through your bond with her?" I wondered. "I know Eric and Godric can track me, is it sort of the same for a maker and child?"

Andre thought for a moment before nodding.

"Well then perfect. If you can track her and get us to Shreveport, then I can direct us with horrible directions to the house." I suggested.

"It seems to be the only way." Andre agreed, closing his eye.

I grew silent as I watched him curiously. There was a small smile on his face as he tried to locate the Queen. It was obvious that he deeply cared for her. I wondered to myself if I would care for anyone that much.

"Anything?" I asked after a moment.

He silently nodded as he eyes opened and he suddenly twisted the parked car, causing me to jerk to the side. I groaned as Andre turned the car around and began to speed down the darkened road. I had enough trust in the vampire that he wouldn't end up crashing us, and relaxed as he turned down another road, one that was actually lit. Neither of us spoke as he drove, taking turns unexpectedly. I didn't question him though, knowing that somehow Andre knew exactly where he was going. And he did. It was only half an hour later that we found ourselves on the outskirts of Shreveport. I cheered in joy and began using my memory to get us to the scarce residential area Eric's house resided in.

"Look at us, we kick ass as a team." I grinned.

Andre chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. I directed him to take a left, pulling the car onto the street of Eric's house. I sighed out of relief as I saw the familiar home I almost thought I would never see again. I never thought I would be relieved to see this house, happy to actually be here. I could only hope Godric was here, and not off doing something stupid for what occurred between us at the palace.

I just about jumped out of the car the moment it stopped, surprising Andre with my quickness. I jogged up to the front porch before realization hit me. I didn't have a key, or any other way to get inside the house. If I knocked, would Godric come to the door? Or would he be too suspicious? Would he know I was out here? What if he wasn't even here? We couldn't stay out here for too much longer. The drive here took most of the night; it would be daylight shortly and Andre bursting into flames wasn't exactly part of the plan.

"Here, little phoenix." Andre stepped up beside me, holding out a key.

I raised an eyebrow as I took it, recognizing it as the key to the house.

"Eric gave it to me before we left." He explained.

"Let the record show that this will be the only time in history I will ever say these words; Eric Northman is a genius."

Andre snickered a he prodded me to open the door. I did so quickly, sliding the key into the lock and turning the knob. The moment the door was open, I tore inside, barely having enough time to pull the key out and stuffing it into my pocket. I looked around the house, as if expecting it to look differently. But it didn't. It looked exactly like we had left it.

"Everything alright, Ellie?" Andre asked after closing the door and placing the locks.

"Just feels like forever since I've been here." I answered honestly, slowly stepping further into the main foyer. "Can you tell if anyone else is here?"

Andre glanced around, tilting his head to the side. He shook his head after a moment, causing me to frown.

"I don't like that." I chewed on my bottom lip. "What if Godric isn't here? What if..."

"Don't worry yourself, dear phoenix; I'm sure he's fine." He laid a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Perhaps he's in his resting place."

I nodded at the suggestion and began up the stairs. I couldn't hear Andre following, and I suspected he was trying to give us time alone if Godric was indeed up here. I swallowed back the impending fear as I reached the second level and turned down the hallway to Godric's familiar room. I pulled open the first door, revealing the second door that was sealed with a code. Now was one of the times I was wishing I had paid attention when Godric had opened the door. Holding onto my hope that Godric was just resting, I raised a hand and knocked as loudly as I could on the door. Was the metal too thick for the sound to go through? But no, he was a vampire; he would be able to hear it, wouldn't he?

"Godric? Godric are you there? It's Ellie. Please open up." I pleaded as my knocking became louder.

I winced as the pounding on the door began to hurt my fist. But I didn't stop, ignoring the pain and just kept pounding. He had to be here, he just had to be. I don't know what I would do if I found out Godric met his true death because of me.

"Please Godric, I don't hate you. Just open up. Please." I begged, my hand growing red from the knocking. "Come on Godric, you have to be here. Please be here."

I was nearly in a fit of hysterics as the minutes passed. My hand was weakening, and I was about to change hand, when the large metal door drew open. I sighed out of relief as I took in Godric's dishevelled appearance. I didn't even wait a moment as I threw myself at him, my arms curling around his neck as I dug my head into his chest.

"I'm so sorry Godric. I never meant to anger you. You've gone through so much pain. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

I felt hands on my waist, pushing me away. I frowned as Godric pulled himself away from me, his eyes not meeting mine. I could see now the blood that was dried on his cheeks, and my heart just about broke.

"Oh Godric." I reached a hand up to cup his cheek. I was saddened however, when he took a step back. "Godric I'm here. I'm okay. I understand now."

"You're not real." He mumbled ever so softly.

"Of course I'm real."

"You were dead. You weren't breathing."

"I know. I can't explain that. But I'm here, I'm alive. I was taken to...well I don't even know what to call it. It was like this heaven for Phoenixes. Oh Godric, it was so beautiful and peaceful!" I smiled fondly as I remembered my brief time there. "Kyra was there. She pulled me to that world to explain everything."

His head snapped towards me at the mention of Kyra's name. "Don't speak of her."

"Godric, I understand now. But you have to know, you didn't kill her Godric. She gave her life so you could live. She wanted you to live. She loved you so much. She still does. She doesn't hate you."

"Don't." He snapped, his eyes narrowing. "Don't speak of the dead. You're not even real."

"Oh for god sake, Godric, I am real!" I rolled my eyes. "Do you really think you're jut imagining pounding on your door, and me suddenly appearing?"

He didn't answer me, and I threw my arms up.

"Oh come on Godric. You're supposed to be 2000 years old." I snorted. "I'm here Godric. I'm not dead. You know it's the truth. You would have been able to feel it if I died. But I'm still very much alive Godric. I'm right here in front of you." I stepped forward, only for him to step back again. "Seriously Godric, I'm right here!"

"Leave, spirit."

"Oh for the love of god!" I shook my head and surprised both of us by grabbing him by the neck and pressing my lips to his.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, a light chapter to try and lift some spirits. everything seems to be so depressing lately, gotta be happy at some point lol. nice cute little chapter of Ellie and Andre...I just love the Andre character to death, so many ways I can use him. the two of them are out of the palace and back in shreveport. unfortunately, Godric thinks he's gone insane and that Ellie isn't real. Well I'm sure he won't be thinking that now that she kissed him! it's seriously amazing how much inspiration I have right now...christmas inspires me so much! and yes, I know it's only November :p


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five:**

My lips were barely touching Godric's before I felt myself being pushed away roughly and with so much force I found myself flying out of the bedroom, through both doors, and straight into the hallway. I winced as my back connected with the hard wall, pain shooting up my spine. I shot Godric a confused stare, watching the mixed emotions cross his face as he just stood there, in the middle of his room, unsure of what to do. I tentatively took a step forward, my hand on my lower back rubbing away the pain, my eyes never leaving Godric's. I knew this was hurting him. I knew he was going through 1400 years of pain. As much as I should have hated him for nearly killing me, for nearly draining me until there was nothing left, I just couldn't. Yes, I was angry, angry over so many things. And yes, I wasn't sure if I could ever truly trust Godric again, much like with Eric. But this was still Godric. This was still the same vampire that had saved me from those two men in that alleyway almost a year ago. This was still the same vampire that healed me and gave me a home, a friend, a family. This was still the same vampire that gave me a reason to live. No matter what anger I held towards him, it would never change the deep feelings I would always have for Godric, both in friendship and whatever other confusing feelings I had.

"Godric," I stepped through the first door, pausing as he took a step back as I grew closer. "I'm right here. I'm alive. I'm okay."

"I almost killed you. I did kill you." He averted my gaze.

"No you didn't. I was just taken out of this world for a little bit. But I was still alive." I reasoned with him, slowly moving myself back into his room. "You're in so much pain; I can see it in your eyes. You feel responsible for what happened with Kyra."

"I killed her."

"No, that's where you're wrong Godric." I found myself in front of him once again, surprised that he hadn't moved away yet. I raised a hand up, grasping his chin and pulling his head towards me. "She gave her life for you to live. She couldn't bear to walk the world alone, to not have you there. So she sacrificed herself, for you."

"I killed her. I'm a monster. I almost killed you." He shook his head, brushing my hand again and going to take a step back. "You need to stay away from me, Elizabeth. You must leave."

"Unfortunately I can't. One, because there's crazy vampires after me and this is the safest place I can be, and two, I'm not going to let you push me away." I shook my head, crossing my arms stubbornly. "So you're just going to have to deal with that. I'm here Godric, and I'm not going anywhere until you just listen to me."

"Get out."

"No."

We stared at one another for what felt like an eternity. Godric didn't blink, and I tried desperately not to do so either. Of course, I was sonly human, and I eventually faltered and blinked. That millisecond was all that it took for Godric to grab a hold of my arms and push me back out of the room. I barely even knew what had happened until my eyes were open and focused on the now closed doors before me. I groaned as I pulled myself away from the wall I was sure was going to have a hole in the form of my body soon. I stared at the door, contemplating trying to get back in, but I knew it was useless. He just needed some time to himself. It was almost dawn, perhaps he'll be thinking more clearly after resting. Deciding on searching out Andre, I slowly strode down the hallway, my back aching as I walked.

"Stupid vampires." I sighed to myself, running my hand up and down my sore back as I began down the stairs. "Andre?"

"I'm in here, little Phoenix." I heard Andre's distant voice.

I looked down the hallway and began to where I thought I heard his voice. I poked my head into the kitchen, and saw him leaning against the counter, a True Blood in his hand. He offered me a smile, but frowned when he saw my slow movements.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just a very depressed vampire." I assured. "Feeling right at home, aren't we?"

Andre chuckled as took a sip of the synthetic blood. "I thought you would rather my nourishment come from somewhere other than your veins."

"Very thoughtful." I walked open and opened the fridge. I never realized how hungry I was, not having eaten in what felt like so long. "I understand now how fangbangers are so anorexic; tend to forget to eat around vampires."

Andre chuckled as I pulled out a bottle of water before moving passed Andre to the cupboard I knew the cereal was stocked. Grabbing out the least healthy box of cereal possible, I dumped a good portion into a bowl before hopping up onto the island across from Andre.

"So, you're a vampire..."

"Last time I checked, yes I was." Andre raised an eyebrow.

"Well how do I make a vampire less...well less depressed?" I asked, my mind still on the vampire a floor above us.

"Godric." Andre assumed. "It pains him for what occurred at the palace."

"Well add that onto 1400 years of pain and sorrow." I sighed. "Kyra, the last Phoenix that was in existence before me, well he and Godric were mates I suppose you could call them."

Andre nodded, encouraging me to continue.

"Well she found him after he was attacked by Weres, and he was slowly dying. She loved him so much that she sacrificed herself to save him. She somehow knew that he would be important some day. She offered him her soul, but he refused, not able to take it. But, vampires know better than anyone that..."

"Once a soul has left the body, there is no returning." Andre finished. "Truly amazing that such a creature loved a vampire so deeply to give her life for one."

"Godric meant the world to her. She couldn't see herself living without him. So she gave her life so he could continue on. Godric doesn't see it that way though." I frowned, picking at the cereal sadly. "He thinks he's a monster and that he killed her. He just needs to understand that this was what she wanted. She wanted to save him. She knew what she was doing."

"We like to believe we are very much different from humans once we are turned. We believe that we no longer feel the same emotions that humans do. It's of course a lie. Soulless or not, we can still feel." Andre set down both his True Blood and my bowl of cereal before taking both of my hands in his. "We can love like humans; we can feel the same guilt, the same pain. After hundreds of years, we've found ways to suppress such emotions, but they are still there. They still linger. He's gone through so many centuries of guilt and pain, that it cannot easily be changed, you must understand that Ellie."

"I know. I just...I don't like seeing Godric like this. He's always been so put together. I've always been the one who's been a mess, and he would just hold me and tell me everything is going to be alright. But now...it's reversed. I'm not sure I know how to comfort him."

"All you can do is try, Ellie." He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You love him deeply. In a much different manner than how you care for Northman. But you do love him, that much is obvious. If he means that much to you, you will figure out what to do. Be there for him, talk him through it. You are a remarkable person, little phoenix, never forget that."

"Thanks Andre." I smiled at him before hugging him tightly. I could tell that he wasn't used to such a thing, but soon warmed up to the embrace. "It's almost dawn, you need to go rest."

Andre nodded as I pulled away, slipping down off of the counter.

"I don't think I can sleep, so you can stay in my room if you'd like. The entire house is blocked off from the sun, so you'll be safe there."

"I cannot take your room." He shook his head.

"Yes you can. I slept in the car. And I have a lot of thinking to do. And maybe some practicing." I shrugged, nudging him in the side. "It's the first door once you get up the stairs. There's a bathroom in there too. Just don't laugh at any of my things."

Andre smiled widely as he bowed his head and left the room. I waited a moment before tossing out the empty bottle of synthetic blood and finishing off the bowl of cereal. I glanced around the kitchen, and seeing everything in order, I left the room and headed towards the living room. I smiled to myself as I entered, looking around at the furniture. Memories of my first lesson on how to use my telekinesis, Godric guiding me through it, came flooding back. I had spent countless of nights after that, with the help of Eric, perfecting what I could. I would like to think that I hardly required much concentration at all when moving an object. Though I was still having trouble with larger objects, and containing my energy, I was proud at how far I've come with the gift after being thrust into it. But now, I was no longer confused about what I thought was once a curse. I had much bigger things to be confused about, like these mysterious Phoenix powers. I was determined to figure them out, so I could protect not only myself, but those I cared about.

And now seemed like the perfect time.

* * *

I was lying flat on my back in the middle of the living room when I heard movement upstairs. I cracked my eyes open, groaning as the lights of the room burned my eyes. I pushed myself up onto my elbows and glanced at the clock. It was just before sunset, and figured both vampires were now up. I peeled myself off of the ground, using the back of the couch as leverage, and looked around at the damage that I had caused.

Understanding my powers was much harder than I anticipated. I first practiced with the power I was the most familiar with, and that was what occurred while in the underground tunnel. I had closed my eyes, pictured warmth, fire, and anything else that I could think of, until I felt the familiar warm tingling in my body. Of course, not everything was so easy. I managed to sear the coffee table so badly that I was pretty sure it didn't even look like the same table anymore. I did however, understand that my anger didn't help anything at all. When I kicked the chair in frustration when nothing occurred when I tried to recreate the blue calming light that had engulfed Godric and I many nights ago, my telekinetic powers went awry and everything began shaking and moving. That was how I came to be on the floor. After vases, lamps, mirror, and anything else that could possible explode and cause a large mess, did just that, I found myself more tired than I had been in awhile. Still wanting to practice, I just laid down on the floor, and let my mind wander. I must have drifted off at some point, waking up to the rather loud vampires in the house.

"Keep anger under control, check." I looked around at the mess one last time before deciding on calling it a day. I wondered how angry Eric would be when he came back to find his living room destroyed. Maybe I should attempt cleaning it up before that happened. I didn't need a pissed off Eric on my hands, especially not during all of this drama.

"You've made quite the mess." Andre mused from the doorway.

"Shush, I'm going to clean it up." I walked over, feeling better than I had earlier from all of the practicing. "By the way, don't get me angry. I tend to blow thing up when I'm angry apparently."

"I'll remember that." He chuckled before his expression turned serious. "I don't believe Godric rested at all."

"How do you know?" I frowned.

"I can smell his blood. I can only assume he has the bleeds."

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "I'll go and talk to him. Maybe bring him a true blood. If he's refusing to rest, I doubt he's eating either."

"Just be careful, little phoenix. We can become quite irritable and lose control of ourselves when hungry and restless." Andre warned.

"I'll keep that in mind." I patted his arm before walking past him and into the hallway. When I got into the kitchen, I popped a true blood into the microwave, waiting for it to be warmed up just like Godric enjoyed them.

As I began my way up to Godric's room, I wondered how I was going to get in. I doubt he would just answer my knocks. Maybe I would be lucky though. I was bound to find a little bit of luck at some point. I was pretty sure I deserved it after everything that's happened. And that's exactly what I found when I came to Godric's room. I opened the first door, only to find the second not fully closed. Godric must not have closed it all the way after pushing me out of the room. I inhaled sharply as I laid a hand on the cold metal, wondering if just walking into his room would be a good idea. But as I remembered the bottle of true blood in my hand, I knew I had to. If Godric wasn't resting or eating, he would grow weak. 2000 year vampire or not, he still needed to sleep and drink blood. That wouldn't change. And if he wasn't going to do it on his own, then by god, I was going to find a way to force him to.

I wasn't expecting what I walked into though. As the door swung open, I was met with a war zone. The entire room was destroyed, from the bed to the drawers, to every possible thing in the room. I raised an eyebrow, my worry growing as I looked around for Godric. I spotted him sitting on the floor on the other side of the destroyed bed and I walked tentatively around the room. My heart just about broke when I saw Godric, taking in his appearance. His clothes looked worn, and in fact, were exactly what he had been wearing when we were in New Orleans. The clothes were wrinkled and stained with his own blood. Speaking of blood, there was dried on blood all over his face, hands and neck. I could see blood pooling around his eyes, as well as dripping down both his nose and ears. The sight worried me, but set me straight into action.

"You need to eat Godric." I walked forward.

"Get out." He attempted to growl, but it only came out as a simple soft request.

"No. I'm not leaving." I shook my head. "You're going to eat."

When Godric didn't answer me, something snapped. I narrowed my eyes and stomped the rest of the distance over to the vampire.

"This is how it's going to go Godric." I knelt down in front of him, my lip pursed together. "You're going to drink the damn blood, and then you're going to take a nice long shower to clean yourself up."

Godric's eyes were boring through me, and if this were anyone else, I would have been running out of the room scared as hell. But this was Godric, and I needed him to get himself together, at least somewhat, before the King realized where I was. I couldn't do this on my own; I needed Godric's help. But he wasn't going to exactly be any sort of help if he starved himself and refused to sleep. It killed me to see him this way, and I just couldn't let him do this to himself. I knew he would do the exact same thing to me. Sometimes you needed a little tough love to get thing moving.

"And then you're going to sleep. I swear I will tie you to that bed...or one that isn't completely destroyed." I threatened. "Once you've gotten a nice long rest, we're going to have a little chit chat about how stupid you're being. Time for some tough loving, Godric. I can't let you do this to yourself. You can't push me away, I won't let you. You're going to pull yourself together if you want to or not."

I had no idea what was going through his head as I thrust the bottle of true blood into his face. I was almost certain that he was going to throw it back at me, or something much worse. I was surprised however, when he took the bottle, still staring me in the eye, and took a sip.

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" I stood, planting my hands on my hips. "Now, I'm going to give you an hour. If you're not showered and resting by the time I come back, I swear I will quickly figure out these powers I have, and kick your ass. Is that clear?"

I was wondering how angry he would be about this later. But I just didn't care. Things needed to change, and quickly. This wasn't the time for useless arguments. We needed to work together here if we're ever going to get through this ordeal alive.

"Godric?" I tapped my foot impatiently.

"An hour." He took another sip of the blood.

"I'm glad we could come to an understanding."

And with that, I twisted back around and walked out of the bedroom with my head held high.


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six:**

I waited outside of Godric's room, listening as the shower was turned on. I vaguely heard Godric close the bathroom door, and I took that as my cue to leave. I slipped into my own bedroom, glancing at the clock beside the bed to note when the hour would be up and I would check on Godric once again. I was surprise he complied to my wishes, or should I really say my orders. If I had talked that way to Eric, well it wouldn't have turned out too pretty. Maybe I was getting through to Godric, little by little. I hoped so, I really needed Godric to be level headed right now; we had psychotic vampires and god knows what else just vying to kill us all. We all needed to be prepared and work together in order to get through this alive. I knew I couldn't do this without Godric by my side. I didn't need his encouragement or his protection; I just needed to know he was there. That was all I needed.

I hummed to myself as I pulled on a fresh set of clothes, glad to be out of the jeans and t-shirt Eric had given me to wear back in New Orleans. After pulling my hair up into a loose ponytail, I began out of the room and back down the stairs. I popped my head into the library as I was about to walk by, noticing Andre sitting in the corner reading.

"Hey." I leaned against the doorframe. "Do you need anything? True Blood?"

"There's no need to worry yourself over my well being, little phoenix." He smiled over at me.

"I'm being a good hostess."

"I'm fine, Ellie." He assured.

"Are you sure, I don't mind grabbing you one."

"I'm perfectly fine."

I rolled my eyes. "Well if a True Blood happens to get warmed and needs someone to drink it..."

"I suppose I cannot let it go to waste." He chuckled and shook his head. "You amaze me, little phoenix."

"I seem to have that affect on people." I shrugged before nodding in his direction and leaving the room.

As I entered the kitchen, I went straight for the fridge, pulling out both a True Blood and a bottle of juice. I stuck the True Blood into the microwave while opening the bottle and taking a sip. I watched the timer decrease every second, my mind wandering to the vampire upstairs. I prayed that Godric and I could get through this. Yes, he bit me and almost killed me, but almost being the key word. He stopped eventually when he knew what he was doing, and I couldn't exactly blame him. He was angry. He had 1400 years of pain and guilt eating away at him. I couldn't imagine what he possibly could be going through. But I wish he would have just told me, at least in a better way than he had. Maybe I could have helped. Maybe I couldn't have, but I wanted the option to at least try. I wasn't sure if I felt so strongly towards Godric because I had Kyra's soul as a part of my own, of if it was just natural, but either way Godric meant the world to me. I would never want to lose him permanently, and all over what happened in the past.

The beeping of the microwave pulled me out of my thoughts. I sighed and pulled the warm bottle of blood out and went to walk back out of the kitchen. The moment I took a step however, it felt like an icy chill fell over the entire room. I knew the heat had been on, for my purpose of course. I had been able to feel that heat when I was changing in my bedroom. Only a moment ago I was contemplating turning the heat off, and suddenly it turned colder than I had ever felt. It felt like I was in the middle of a snow storm, minus the white fluffy powder. I shivered, taking another step forward. That's when I realized I wasn't alone. A creaking sound came from behind me and I froze. My hand gripped around the True Blood as I stood perfectly still, scared at what I would find if I turned around.

I felt a sudden breeze rustle through my hair and I tensed even further. I could feel that I was no longer alone, that there was another presence in the room with me.

"Hello?" I spoke barely above a whisper. "Who's there?"

There was a steady breath falling against the back of my bare neck and I spun around, my eyes wide as I was met with absolutely nothing. My heart accelerated as I twisted back and forth searching for the culprit.

"I know someone's there." I raised my voice, setting the bottle of True Blood on the counter. "Show yourself."

It was a phantom hand this time that caused me to turn back around. My breath was caught in my throat as once again there was nothing but thin air.

"Andre?" I called out, hoping the vampire could hear me. "Godric?"

I knew neither was here in this room with me. This presence was something else entirely.

"Look I know you're there. I'm not alone." I warned the invisible presence. "I'm...I'm armed."

I looked around and grabbed the first thing I set my eyes on; the largest knife in the wooden butcher block. I gripped the handle tightly, wielding it out before me as I slowly began to turn around multiple times, hoping to catch whoever it was.

"Now now, I do hope your smart enough to know that won't work."

The colour drained from my face as the voice rang in my ears. I spun on my heel, coming face to face with Jeffrey. My heart was pounding now, threatening to jump right out of my chest. I held the knife out even further, hoping to scare him off. The blade was silver, and while it wouldn't kill him, it would injure him enough for me to get away.

"What do you want?" I slowly began to take a step back.

Jeffrey smirked as his coal coloured eyes bore right through me. I had nearly forgotten how eerie the vampire was, with his dark hair falling into his face, the look of cruelty in his eyes. I shuddered and continued to back up until suddenly there was no one in front of me. My back, however, was met with a rock hard body. I let out a scream as I twisted back around, slicing the knife into the air at Jeffrey. But he had disappeared once again.

"How did you get in here?" I moved closer to the door, hoping to make a run for it.

I jumped when Jeffrey just appeared in front of me out of thin air.

"I know where you are, Phoenix." He vanished again.

"What the hell?" I looked around for the vanishing vampire...or whatever he was. It was obvious that he wasn't just a vampire. "Godric! Andre! Could use a little help here!"

I hoped the two vampires would hear me in enough time, before Jeffrey suddenly just appeared once...

"I'm going to get my hands on you, Phoenix." His voice was in my ear, his hands pushing down on my shoulders to keep me from turning around. "And I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream in agony."

My hands were shaking around the knife as I struggled against the hands holding me in place. As one of his hands left my shoulder to trail up my neck, I used that opportunity to turn around and plunge the knife into him. Except there was no one there.

That is for a wide eyed Godric and Andre, staring at me like I had two heads.

"Where is he?" I looked around wildly. "Where did he go?"

"Who, Elizabeth?" Godric stared at me closely. "Put the knife down."

"No, he's going to come back." I shook my head.

"Who, who is going to come back?" Andre questioned.

"Jeffrey."

I heard Godric growl, sending my attention to the 2000 year old vampire.

"He was just here. Didn't you see him?" I looked between the two.

"We didn't see anyone, Ellie." Andre frowned. "Perhaps you were..."

"I wasn't seeing things." I snapped, still gripping the knife tightly. "He was here. You had to of seen him."

"We didn't, but we believe you." Godric stepped forward, his hand inching towards mine. "Elizabeth you need to let go of the knife."

"But what if he comes back?" my eyes were as wide as saucers.

"We'll protect you." He assured. "Just let go of the knife."

I swallowed hard but nodded and let him take the knife from my hands.

"He was here. He knew I was here Godric." I looked him dead in the eye.

It took a moment for my words to set in. But once they had, Godric seemed to transform back into the vampire that he was before all of this started.

"We're no longer safe here." Godric ran a hand through his wet hair. "We need to leave."

"Where will we go? We're not exactly safe anywhere."

"What about Fangtasia." Andre suggested.

"But Russell and them are there." I pointed out.

He shook his head. "They left the moment the sun set. They should be halfway to Jackson by now. It'll be safe to go."

"We'll leave immediately." Godric decided.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"I'll go ahead, make sure everything checks out. I'll call and let you know." Andre offered.

"That will be fine." Godric nodded at the younger vampire before his eyes fell back on me. "Elizabeth, I would suggest getting a change of clothes; we won't be back for a few days."

I didn't make an effort to move, the fear of finding Jeffrey somewhere else in the house taking a hold of me.

"Elizabeth?" I felt a cool hand cupping my cheek.

"What if he comes back?" I asked softly, feeling like a scared little girl. I stared up at him with wide scared eyes, as if praying that he wouldn't leave me.

"I won't leave you for a moment." He promised. "But we must hurry."

"Promise."

"I promise, little one." He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine.

I nodded myself, realizing Andre was no longer in the room. I felt a tug on my hand and looked down to find Godric's hand clasped around mine.

"I won't let anyone harm you, Elizabeth." Godric spoke softly. "Including myself."

I wanted to yell at him that he would never intentionally hurt me, but I found myself at a loss for words. I knew whatever I said, at least for now, wouldn't matter at all. I would wait until we were safe and sound before having a little chat with Godric. Just because Jeffrey popped up out of nowhere, didn't mean I wasn't serious before. Godric and I needed to have a heart to heart, before anything else happened around here.

* * *

By the time Godric and I arrived at Fangtasia, Pam and Andre were waiting for us. Andre informed us that all was fine, not a single sighting of the enemy. Pam thankfully looked better than I was expecting someone to look after being held by the Magister. She and I may not have been on the greatest terms, but she had always looked after me whenever Eric and Godric weren't around. She never tried to harm me, and truthfully that went a long way in my books. I never wanted to see her get hurt, especially tortured at the hands of some crazy vampire, no one deserved that. Well maybe perhaps Russell or Jeffrey.

The minutes passed slowly as I sat at the bar, drumming my fingers against the surface of the bar. Pam was sitting on Eric's throne with a blank look on her face while Andre paced along the room, once in awhile ducking outside to make sure nothing was amiss. Godric however, had escaped into Eric's office the moment we arrived. I was worried about him, but knew that I couldn't push him. But after an hour of sitting there without uttering a word, I just couldn't take it any longer. I slid off the stool and made my way over to the door leading to the back hallway. I could feel Pam's eyes watching me but didn't stop me as I slipped through the door and began towards Eric's office. I paused just outside the half closed door, peering in to look for Godric. When I couldn't see him, I knocked lightly and pushed the door the rest of the way open.

"Hi." I smiled shyly at Godric, who was leaning against the desk with his back to me. "How are you doing?"

"Fine."

"Godric I'm worried about you." I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I entered the room and closed the door behind me. "Maybe we should talk now."

"This isn't the time."

"It's never going to be the right time." I stepped forwards. "But we need to talk about what happened."

"We don't." I watched as his body tensed the moment I was within a foot of him. I frowned but refused to turn around now, and closed the gap between us.

"Yes we do, Godric." I hesitantly laid a hand on his shoulder.

He turned around so quickly that I didn't even have time to blink. I opened my mouth to speak, but he laid a hand over my mouth to stop me.

"I'm dangerous, Elizabeth. Why can't you understand that? I nearly killed you. You should be dead right now. I cannot control myself. I'm a monster. You should not be around me." his voice lowered, his eyes narrowing. I nearly jumped when his fangs clicked out in an attempt to intimidate me. Didn't he realize that I just couldn't be scared of him in that way? "I'm not good for you."

I lifted a hand and pushed his away, taking a step back so I could talk freely. "Yeah and Eric isn't good for me either but I seem to be an idiot and still fall for everything he says no matter what he does. I'm not scared of you Godric, so go try those tricks on someone else."

"You're just a child." He grabbed onto my arms suddenly. "You should be frightened. You shouldn't still be standing here."

"But I am, Godric. No matter what you've done, that's never going to change." I stared up at him, the pain and hurt in his eyes just about breaking my heart. "You never meant to hurt me."

"You should be dead." His fingers dug into my arms.

I ignored the slight pain, knowing he was just trying to scare me. "But I'm not dead, Godric. You stopped. Eventually you stopped. Kyra pulled me into her world, but you still could have killed me Godric."

He flinched at her name, and it was apparent now than ever that he was still torn up over the last Phoenix.

"She loves you, Godric. She loves you so much." My voice was soft as I raised a hand to cup his cheek. He tried to pull away, but I kept my hand firmly planted on his cheek. "She gave her life so you could live. She didn't want to live without you."

"Stop."

"No, I'm not going to stop. You need to get it through your thick skull that you didn't kill her."

"I did." He growled. "Stop."

"You didn't. She freely gave her life for yours. She didn't see you as some vicious monster. She loved you and she couldn't bear to live without you. So she sacrificed herself for you."

"Stop." He raised his voice, his hands pushing me away roughly.

I stumbled but was able to keep myself from falling over. I watched as he backed up, his fists clenched at his sides.

"You've been in pain for 1400 years. She doesn't want you to be like this. She wants you to be happy." I tried to get through to him. "She doesn't blame you, Godric. She loves you so much. Please, you have to let the pain and guilt go. It's been too long."

"Don't speak as if you know what it's like."

"Are you kidding me, Godric? I of all people know what it's like to lose people. I lost my parents when I was 5; I lost my brother only a few years ago. I have no one. My only family is dead. I understand what you're going through." I shook my head. "But I let them go. I had to. I couldn't let it tear me apart. Neither can you, Godric. You can't go another millennium in pain. She doesn't want this for you."

"You know nothing." He looked away.

"I was there with her, Godric. We talked. Did you know that the reason we look like one another, is because her soul has been lost for the past 1400 years?"

"Stop."

I ignored him and continued. "Her soul found me. There hasn't been a Phoenix in 1400 years until I came along."

"Stop."

"I'm scared Godric. I'm scared beyond belief. Everyone is expecting me to be great." I admitted my fears. "I don't know how to be great. I feel like some big disappointment half of the time. I need you Godric. You've always made me feel more than just some weak little girl. From the moment you saved me in that alley, you've transformed me. I can't lose you Godric, not over something so stupid. Just let her go. She wants you to let her go."

He fell silent, unable to speak. I took that opportunity to slowly walk towards him, making sure he wouldn't snap and push me away again. Once I was close enough, I raised both of my hands and cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look down at me.

"She gave her life for you to live. She sacrificed herself so you could live and become great. If it came down to it Godric, I would do the same damn thing." His eyes widened slightly. "I know both you and Eric would do anything to keep me alive, but don't you understand that I would do the exact same thing? You two drive me insane in so many ways, and yes, sometimes I need a break from it all. But that doesn't mean I want to lose you forever. I love you Godric, in ways that I don't even understand. I can't lose you. I would give my life for you. I would give my life for Eric. I refuse to live without you, either of you."

Something did snap in the vampire, though it wasn't what I had been expecting. Godric tugged at my hands, pulling them down from his face and holding them against his chest. His lips crashed down against mine before I even had a moment to take a breath. I was shocked as his hands dropped from mine, going to my hips and gripping them tightly. I moaned as his tongue brushed against my lips in need. Every single thought, every brain cell, vanished the moment his lips touched mine. My brain seemed to have gone on vacation as I kissed the vampire back, my hands grabbing his neck and pulling him closer. I knew deep down inside that this wasn't the time, but I didn't care, and Godric clearly didn't either. Nothing else mattered in the world except for this vampire before me. He was all I wanted right now, all that I needed.

Godric pulled his lips back, only to begin a trail of kisses along my jaw line and to my ear. I let out another moan as he nibbled on my sensitive earlobe. One of my hands ran down his back, my fingernails raking against the tense muscles. He growled against my neck as his fangs threatened to penetrate the skin. I wouldn't have cared if they had. This was so much different than the last time he had bit me. This was sensual. I trusted him with my life.

"Godric..." I moaned breathlessly.

His hands guided my hips backwards until they met the desk, hoisting me up so I was sitting on the surface. I couldn't hold myself back anymore as my hands greedily went to the bottom of his shirt, trying to rip it off him. Godric pulled himself back long enough to do the deed himself before his lips found mine once again. We kissed as if it was the end of the world, and I suppose in some ways, it very well could be. My arousal peaked as one of his hands began roaming underneath my shirt, his cold hand against my skin. When his hand reached my bra covered breasts, I felt like I was cloud nine. I moaned loudly as his expert hands fondled with my breasts, freeing them from my bra. My shirt was ripped off and thrown onto the ground next to his, my bra following suit. My hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they reached down to his linen pants, trying to tug them down. I was hungry for him. Every sense, every feeling, was exemplified as he touched my body, as his fingers danced across my nipples. I desperately wanted him, needed him, right then and there.

I felt myself being lifted up and my legs wrapped around Godric's waist, our lips never breaking. The moment my back was met with the leather couch, I was more than ready for this to happen. The last time Godric and I had been intimate, we had been disturbed by a possessive Eric. But Eric was far away in Jackson, and even though Pam and Andre could probably hear us, neither of them was going to interrupt. We were alone, and there was absolutely no stopping what was about to happen.

I hadn't realized Godric had managed to slip both of our pants off, but when I felt his arousal against my inner thigh, I couldn't help but grind my hips up into him. He growled out and ripped my panties off, not leaving a piece of clothing on me.

"Godric...do it." I moaned, tilting my head to the side revealing my neck. He hesitated, even though I knew it was such a natural thing for a vampire to do during sex. "I trust you."

It took a moment before he lowered his head back down to my neck, his fangs grazing the skin. Before he lowered himself into me, his nose nuzzled my neck and he spoke so softly I almost didn't hear him.

"Kyra..."

Almost that is.

My heart sank, every desire I had only seconds ago, being torn away. Before his fangs sunk into my neck, I pushed at his chest, struggling underneath him. When Godric lifted his head, looking down at me confused, I glared right back and pushed at his chest again.

"What?"

"What the hell did you say, Godric?"

"Elizabeth..."

"No, that's actually not what you said. Get off of me."

Godric, hearing the anger in my voice, got off me in a second. I sat up and searched for my pants before pulling them on, all the while glaring darkly at the vampire.

"Elizabeth, what is it?" he raised a hand to my cheek.

I pushed it away angrily though, not wanting him to touch me.

"Elizabeth?"

"You called me Kyra, Godric." I stared into his eyes for a moment before having to look away.

He was speechless as I walked over and grabbed my bra, putting it on with some trouble. I knew he didn't mean it, but I couldn't help the hurt that I felt. I looked like his former love, yes, and her soul was a part of mine. But that did not mean that I was her. I wanted Godric, so much that it was driving me insane to be standing there, putting my clothes back on without getting a hint of pleasure. But it was just too painful to continue. It felt like my insides were being ripped out, knowing that Godric would never get over the girl he loved over 1400 years ago, the same girl who I looked exactly alike.

I was never going to be enough for either vampire, was I?

* * *

**A/N:** Oh Godric, you stupid stupid man. don't you know that saying another girl's name during sex is a big no no? I know, I'm cruel for not letting them just get it on...but hey, most of you seem to be Team Eric, so I'm sure theres some cheering going on lol I apologize for taking forever to update. I'm currently in a Supernatural obsession...the show is far too amazing to stop watching. I've watched way too many episodes in such a short amount of time. Its probably not healthy, but if any of you have seen the show, then you'll understand lol. But have no fear, I've just gotten a wave of inspiration, and now that this chapter is over (took like a thousand different rewrites) the juices are definitely flowing and i'm itching to write. I do promise lots of drama, Ellie kicking some serious ass...and of course, some good old Eric hotness (because whats a story without it?). I've also decided to do the third installment for this series, and should begin sometime in the next year whenever this one ends. Gotta fill up all that True Blood hiatus with something lol


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven:**

It took me all of 30 seconds to find a spare Fangtasia shirt lying in a box and throw it on before stomping out of the room. Godric didn't follow at first, and I was hopeful that he got the hint. However, the moment I stepped out into the main bar area, he appeared before me. I narrowed my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest as I waited for him to say anything of interest. I was beyond livid. My anger was beginning to overtake the pain in my heart, which I was partly thankful for. It was easier to be angry than to be heartbroken. I had created that damn sex ban so I could figure out my confusing feelings before something like this happened. But I was an idiot and let my feelings roam free and now look; Godric was calling out Kyra's name. How could I compete with that? He spent centuries with her, loved her more than anything. He was holding all of this pain and guilt for 1400 years, and then poof, I show up. Was everything just because I looked like her? Because I could take her place? It killed me to think Godric would feel that way, but what else was I supposed to believe?

"Elizabeth," He raised his hands onto my shoulders. "I'm truly..."

"Don't touch me!" I screeched, sounding a lot like those horrible love suck broken hearted girls I've always hated.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't." I snapped. "Just leave me alone."

"I didn't mean to..."

"Didn't mean to what, Godric? Call out your former lover's name? Bit too late for that." I pushed his hands away and brushed passed him.

"I was..."

"Don't give me some made up excuse, Godric. I don't deserve that." I stormed over to where Andre was sitting in a booth and slid in across from him. He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but with a single glare, he clamped his mouth shut and looked away.

"You can't really blame her, Godric. You did say someone else's name." Pam spoke from Eric's throne while filing her nails.

"That's enough Pamela." Godric growled.

Pam merely shrugged as she fell silent once again. No one spoke for the longest time. I was seething in the booth across from Andre, while Godric stood in the same spot, not uttering a word. I snuck a glance over to where he stood, only to find him staring directly at me. I huffed and looked back away, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring down at the table. If it wasn't one vampire driving me up the wall and breaking my heart, it was the other. Maybe I should fall for someone who had a beating heart next time. I don't think it could possibly get any worse in my screwed up love life. Sounded a lot like the rest of my screwed up life right about now.

"Elizabeth, we need to talk." Godric finally spoke, breaking the silence in the room.

"No." I responded bitterly. "Go find someone else to tell your bullshit to."

"You're being unreasonable, Elizabeth."

He thought I was being unreasonable? Oh, he had no idea just how unreasonable I could get.

"I can't believe you." I jumped out of my seat, glaring daggers at him. My hands were clenched into fists at my sides, my teeth gritting together. "You called out another girl's name! And not just some other girl, the one that I look exactly like! How the hell am I being unreasonable?"

"And I apologize." He stepped forward.

"I don't want your apologies."

"You're acting like a child." He sighed.

"Excuse me?" My mouth dropped open. "I'm sorry, not all of us can be cold hearted 2000 year old vampires! Do you even remember what it's like to actually feel anything?"

"Perhaps we should all just calm down." Andre spoke from behind me.

"I'm not going to calm down."

"You're yelling will only draw attention to our location." Godric pointed out.

Something inside of me snapped when he said those words. I stomped over to where he stood, and without a second thought, I slapped him across the face. Of course, it didn't seem to do a damn thing to him, and my hand slightly ached afterwards, but I was proud of myself nonetheless. Afterwards, I spun on my heel and stormed back towards the back hallway. I heard Godric begin to follow me but I yelled at him, determined to be alone.

"Don't even think about following me!" I swung the door open and quickly closed it behind me.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I leaned against the closed door. I could vaguely hear the three talking, but I ignored them and walked across the hallway to Eric's office. I sighed as I entered and made a beeline for the chair behind the desk, plopping down in exhaustion. I could feel tears in my eyes but I fought them back. I couldn't be crying right now. There were too many things that needed to be dealt with. I just needed time to pull myself together.

* * *

It felt like hours went by as I just sat in the office. The time passed slowly, and it wasn't long before I was growing drowsy. My eyes would close every few minutes before I shook myself back awake. There was just something in my gut telling me not to fall asleep. So I kept myself awake at all costs. I considered leaving the office to go into the other room, but then I would remember Godric was out there and I immediately decided against it. I didn't want to see the vampire's face anytime soon.

While I was drowsing off, my head lying in my arms folded on Eric's desk, I heard a loud bang inside the bar. I snapped up straight, staring around with wide eyes as the door to the office was torn open. My mouth dropped as Eric walked hurriedly in the door, dressed so unusual in dark dress pants and a rather nice buttoned up shirt. His attire, however, was not what caught my attention, but the blood on the vampire.

"Eric?" I immediately stood. "What's wrong? What's going on? Why is there blood on you? Are you hurt? Are you..."

"Shut up!" He snapped, his eyes boring down at me as he opened the safe behind his desk, placing in what appeared to be a crown of some sort. As he closed the safe back up, his eyes fell back on me and realization dawned. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the house."

"It was...ah...it wasn't safe." I only had eyes for the blood scattered on the Viking. "My god Eric, what happened?"

"Is everything okay?" Pam questioned as she and Godric quickly entered the room. I could feel Godric's eyes on me, but I ignored him and continued to stare at Eric.

"We need sanctuary." Eric spoke, eying the entire room.

"What happened, Eric?" Pam pressed.

"I staked a vampire." Eric replied simply as if he was speaking about the weather.

"You what!" My jaw just about hit the floor. "Who?"

"Russell's lover." His eyes flickered to me before glancing at the others. "We need to leave immediately."

"Are you insane?" Pam looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Where can we go?" Eric growled angrily, his patience nonexistent.

Pam looked to Godric for him.

"A human's home would be safest. You've been invited into Ms. Stackhouse's house." Godric suggested.

"No, that's out of the question. She's involved enough as it is." Eric shook his head. "Where else?"

"You never panic, should we be panicking?" if possible, I could have sworn Pam just grew paler.

"We need to just stop and think, my child." Godric stepped forward, trying to be the man of reason.

I had no idea what to think as the three conversed on a safe location to go. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Eric had killed a vampire, Russell's lover. As if we didn't already have a big enough problem with the vampire king, this was only adding to the list. I began biting on my fingernails, a nervous habit as I watched the three. I had thought coming to Fangtasia would be safe for the time being, but I had been wrong, very wrong. This would be the first place Russell would come looking for Eric, and in turn, find all of us, including me. Where the hell were we supposed to go? Sookie's house was apparently out of the equation, though I didn't understand why. Were we just supposed to run for the rest of our lives? I was supposed to live for centuries, that option didn't exactly sound all that great. I didn't want to spend centuries of my life running from a psychotic vampire that wanted us all dead.

"We need to leave the country." Eric decided. "It'll be harder for him to track us."

"Can we just consider the fact that we may all just be screwed?" Pam interjected.

"Enough, Pam." Eric glared at his progeny.

I felt dizzy and sat back down in the chair, wishing this was all just a horrible dream. And of course, to add to the drama, Andre entered the room only moments later, a grave look on his face.

"We have a problem."

"What?" Eric snapped.

"Flanagan is here, and she isn't alone."

"Fuck." Eric cursed, slamming his fist into the wall.

"She wants everyone out there, now." Andre's eyes found mine. "Everyone."

"Shit." I muttered under my breath. This couldn't be good.

* * *

The five of us stepped out of the back hallway only minutes later, Eric thankfully cleaned up and wearing a shirt that wasn't covered in blood. I stood in the back, with both Andre and Pam standing in front of me to block me from view. Godric, attempting to be the level headed one, was beside Eric, coaxing him in their ancient language. I wasn't blind, I could easily see the vampires that were done up exactly like I would assume SWAT teams to look like, guns and all. I gulped and grabbed onto Andre's arm. He threw me a small smile, trying to comfort me. But there was absolutely no amount of comfort in the world to make me feel better right now.

"I'm sorry Ms. Flanagan, the bar is closed." Eric was the first to speak as a blonde vampire approached.

"No thank you, I've already ate." The snake like eyes fell over to where Pam, Andre and I stood. "True Blood only of course."

I shuddered at the look in her eyes before she turned her attention back onto Eric.

"Can't stay out of trouble, can you? The VRA is two states away from ramification. I should be kissing asses in Oregon, not cleaning up after you in fucking Louisiana."

"Oh, I promise, there is nothing amiss in my area." I would have believed Eric myself. That is of course, if I didn't already know how royally screwed we all were.

"Shut up. You're making my head hurt." Nan glared up at the taller vampire before glancing behind him. "Officer, silver him."

My eyes were bugging out of my sockets as I watched a vampire walk up behind Eric, silver in his gloved hand as he applied the metal to Eric's bare shoulder. The moment Eric let out a cry of pain, however muffled he tried to make it, all I wanted to do was run over and help him. Andre thankfully, grabbed onto my arm at that point, keeping me in place. I saw Pam tense, as did Godric as they watched their maker and child, in pain.

"Ms. Flanagan, perhaps we can talk in a civilized manner." Godric suggested.

"Why is it every time there's an issue, you seem to be front and center, Godric?" Nan laid her eyes on Godric.

Godric, keeping himself calm, merely tilted his head to the side. "I don't ask for the trouble I find myself in, Ms. Flanagan. Now, shall we?"

"So be it." Nan waved a hand and the officer with the silver took a step back, removing the silver from Eric's burning skin. "The Authority wishes to speak with you anyways."

"About?"

"That's none of your concern, Godric." Nan' eyes narrowed as Eric slowly made it back onto his feet. "Have a seat Mr. Northman. I do hope there are no objections to my men searching the premises."

"What for?" Eric gritted his teeth.

"The Magister."

Pam looked to the ground, and by the slight hesitance in answering by Eric, I knew something had happened. Nan must have thought so to, if she was about to search the club. I just desperately hoped that whatever had happened, they wouldn't be able to find anything. Things were bad enough as it was.

* * *

As Nan and a few of the officers searched the entire bar, the rest of us were left in an awkward silence. Eric sat in the middle of the room, hunched over with a blank look on his face. Two guards stood on either side of his chair, watching him closely. Pam leaned against the bar, not straying too far from her maker. Godric sat at a table a few feet behind Eric, ready to pounce if needed. Andre and I however, were situated as far away from the action as possible. I sat on Eric's throne, my legs shaking nervously as I watched Eric in worry. Andre stood close beside me, his hand on my shoulder to try and calm me down. I didn't move my gaze off of Eric, scared that if I did, he was just going to disappear. He must have felt my gaze as he tilted his head in my direction, his eyes catching mine. I wanted to look away, but just couldn't. Our eyes locked together for what felt like eternity before he appeared to mouth something just before looking back down at the floor.

"He told you to calm down." Andre leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Everything is going to be fine, little phoe...Ellie."

I swallowed hard as I looked up at him. "Why don't I believe that?"

Andre looked about to say something before closing his mouth and looking away. I raised an eyebrow and was about to question him when he smirked and looked back down at me.

"He just said for you to shut up before he's forced to come over here to make you by ending a certain sex ban." My face grew a deep shade of red and I was unable to look Andre in the eye. "That's quite an interesting ban, Ellie."

"Shut up." I nudged him just as I noticed Nan and the other officers rejoin us.

"The downstairs is clean." Nan walked over to the chair opposite of Eric and stared down at him.

"Well I told you there was nothing." Eric looked up.

"It's been wiped."

"Well I'm a Virgo." Eric face didn't have an ounce of humour in his voice as he spoke. "I like to be neat."

I had to cover my mouth with my hands in order to not laugh out loud. Andre's hand fell on top of my own hands to stifle the noise even further.

"A basement suddenly becomes as sterile as an operating room? Very unlikely."

"It doesn't prove anything." Eric looked like he wanted to rip her face off. I didn't blame him; she wasn't exactly on the top of my favourite people list.

"If only we had a Magister to decide that."

When I saw Eric tense, I definitely knew something was up.

"Relax, it's not like you killed someone."

I think we all froze at that comment, my breath stuck in my throat as no one spoke for the longest time.

"We just need your official statement, that's all." Nan sat on the chair, placing an earpiece in her ear as officers brought cameras on stands over to where they sat. "Webcam for the authority."

I raised an eyebrow, shooting Andre a look of confusion. The Authority? This was the first time I've ever heard of this Authority. What was it that they did? Did they have more power than the vampire Kings and Queens?

"Members of the Authority, its Nan. Can you hear me?"

I turned my attention back onto the female vampire, watching as she glanced towards one of the webcams.

"In regards to the matter of the disappearance of our Magister; last known whereabouts, this dump in Shreveport, Louisiana. You have before you Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5."

Why did I have the worst feeling in the world that Eric knew exactly what had happened to the magister?

"Smile for the cameras Eric."

* * *

**A/N: **getting to my favourite part of the season...and all the action! I do however, promise a cute moment in the next chapter. all those Team Eric fans better get ready! you can all thank my brain for not letting me go to sleep until I finished this chapter lol


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight:**

I was only half listening as Nan questioned Eric. Part of me was too consumed with wondering what would end up happening to Eric, to all of us for that matter, while the other half of me couldn't stop thinking about what had occurred with Godric. I wondered if Eric could tell at all that Godric and I had been intimate. He hadn't shown any sign that he did, but then again, he's had his hands full the entire time he's been back. What would he do if he knew I was only seconds away from breaking the sex ban for Godric and not for him? I knew he would be livid. I remember how he acted when Godric and I were intimate the last time. He had stormed into the room, pulled me away and proceeded to have quick, but still quite pleasurable, sex with me. Could I call it jealousy? Or was he really just that possessive that he didn't want anyone else to have me but him? It wasn't like he was exactly treating me the greatest. Then again, I couldn't say any differently about Godric, now could I?

I could feel Godric's eyes on me and I knew he could feel my conflicted emotions. I tried my best to ignore his glances and focused back on what was occurring before me.

"Russell opposes the Great Revelation. He doesn't want to coexist with humans, he wants to subjugate them." Eric explained, contempt in his voice.

"The Authority will not..."

"Fuck the Authority!" Eric yelled suddenly, causing everyone to jump in surprise. "Russell's words. Repeat them.

There was a silence in the room that frightened the hell out of me. I was even too scared to breathe as I waited for someone to say something.

"This is why he killed the magister?" Nan questioned.

"No." Eric looked Nan directly in the eye. "He killed the magister because the magister defied him. He kidnapped Queen Sophie Anne because she refused him." I slipped my hand into Andre's at the mention of the Queen, squeezing it comfortingly. I knew Andre was distraught that he could not be with his maker, though he did everything he could not to show it. "Now if the Authority or the AVL stand in his way...well..."

I wasn't sure if I was relieved that Eric had nothing to do with the Magister's death, or scared that it wouldn't even matter to these Authority people, whoever they were.

"These are treasonous allegations. Why didn't you report this?

Eric sighed, his eyes dancing between the webcams and Nan. "Oh I should have. But the authority has existed for only a few hundred years. My history with Russell goes back nearly a thousand."

My eyes widened at this as I shifted to the edge of the seat. It was obvious back in New Orleans that Russell had done something to Eric, something that caused pain and anguish in the Viking. I hated that I didn't know, that I couldn't understand why he's done everything that he had in the last few days. He hadn't answered my questions on the issues the last time we had seen one another, and I was hoping I would finally get an answer now.

"My family was massacred. All of them."

The heart sunk at his words. I could see the sadness in his eyes, even from this distance, and wished I could walk over and give him a hug, even though he would only push me away.

"By wolves. I managed to kill one, and I watched him change into a man at the end of my sword." Eric's hand clenched. "And these wolves, they're the same. Sweden, Germany, here." His eyes moved to the webcam. "With all respect, I did not report Russell to you because I wanted him to die at my own hands. I have waited a thousand years for this."

It was all making sense now. He wanted revenge. That's why he killed Russell's lover and progeny. He wanted to make Russell feel the same pain that he had gone through when he watched his entire family killed savagely by werewolves. That's why he had stayed when we were at the palace and I begged him to come. He still had a job to do.

It was at that moment that I could feel Eric's emotions. I hadn't felt him at all since departing at the palace, and not once since he's been back. But now, it almost knocked me right off the chair. I could feel the sadness, the pain, the hurt, the anger, the desire for revenge. I had to close my eyes for a moment as I tried to make sense of it all. When I opened my eyes, I found Eric's blue orbs staring at me. I could only stare back, not knowing what else to do.

"Yes...yes I understand." Nan's voice brought me back to reality. "I'm flying immediately to Portland. Thank you."

Eric sat up. "What, is that it?"

"The Authority will review your statement against the, frankly strong, possibility that I've lost an entire night's worth of airtime promoting the VRA in order to listen to a bunch of bullshit." Nan sighed. "But some do believe in a fair hearing." She rolled her eyes. "Americans."

As Nan rose out of her chair, Eric did so as well.

"Ms. Flanagan, Russell is a threat to our very existence.

"But he is a king." She glared at him. "One that just donated a half a million dollars to the same American Vampire League you say he's trying to bring down. Weird, huh?"

Eric look defeated and I truly did want to give him one big long hug. I've never seen Eric in such a vulnerable place before.

"Bring in a couple of spare coffins for Sheriff Northman and his guests. You're on lockdown," Her eyes roamed over the room. "All of you, until the Authority makes its ruling."

Andre and I shared a look as Nan turned on her heel and walked towards the exit, guards flanking her sides. Eric stepped forward, as if he was about to attack, but was stopped by Godric's hand on his arm. Eric glanced down at his maker before over to Pam. As the door to the club closed, his eyes found mine before quickly looking away and making his way towards his office in a defeated nature. I went to go after him, but Andre stopped me.

"Give him some space for now, Ellie." Andre advised.

I sighed but nodded, knowing he was right. I let myself fall back onto the throne and watched as the officers brought in coffins for the vampires to sleep in. I looked around at the guards that had yet to move, and figured they were here to stay for however long it would take for the Authority to make its decision. I twisted my hands nervously, hoping to god that it would work out in our favour.

* * *

As the night came to an end, the vampires made their way into their coffins to rest. Eric and Pam were stashed away in his office while Godric and Andre were out on the main floor. I was left to myself, with the exception of the officers of course. I could feel their gazes on me every once in awhile and I tried to keep myself as far from them as possible. I had curled up in an uncomfortable position in one of the larger booths in the corner. I couldn't sleep a wink however, my mind still wheeling from all of the information that had been provided tonight. I felt so horrible for Eric, hating that he had to witness his family murdered and to live a thousand years with that pain. I couldn't begin to understand all that he's been going through.

The morning moved quickly, and by the time it was the afternoon, I just couldn't sit still anymore. I stood up from the booth and stretched, my back cracking and gaining the attention of the guards. I watched them out the corner of my eye as I crossed the room and slipped into the back hallway. There wasn't a guard directly outside of Eric's office, something I was surprised about. I stuck my ear to the door, wondering if both vampires were indeed resting in their coffins.

"Come in, Ellie. I don't like lingering."

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard Eric's voice. I frowned as I opened the door and walked into the room, closing it behind me. I glanced at the coffin lying on the ground and guessed it was Pam's, while a second was leaned against a wall not being used. I turned towards the desk, and my stomach churned when I saw the blood dripping down his nose, as well as his ear.

"You should be sleeping, Eric." I spoke softly as I slowly made my way over to the desk and learned against the side of it.

"As should you." He didn't look up from the paperwork he was sorting through on his desk.

"Eric, you look terrible."

"I'm fine." He picked up a bloodied towel to wipe under his nose.

"No, you're really not." I crossed my arms. "There's no point in staying awake, Eric. We won't know anything until at least tonight. You might as well get a few hours of rest while you can."

Eric sighed as he raised his gaze up to meet mine. "I could say the same to you."

"You try sleeping on a very uncomfortable bench, it's not exactly comfortable." I shrugged. "But you're a vampire, you can sleep anywhere."

"I said I was fine." He repeated, turning his gaze elsewhere.

I fell silent as I just watched him. I could see the anguish in his eyes, and I wanted to find the perfect thing to say to him to make him feel better. But there wasn't anything in the world I could say to take away the last thousand years of pain. I suppose his maker wasn't the only one living with so much hurt.

"Why didn't you tell me that's why you had to stay?" I asked after a moment.

Eric tensed, and I knew he didn't want to talk about it. But I couldn't help it. I wanted to help the vampire, I wanted to understand everything that I was feeling coming from the Viking.

"I wished I knew."

"It was not your burden to bear." Eric spoke, his voice strained.

"But it was your burden. You don't deserve to bear that alone, Eric. Did Godric even know about what happened to your family?"

Eric sighed and leaned back in the chair. He knew I was stubborn and wouldn't let up on the subject, that was clear in the defeated stare he was now giving me.

"He knew that my family had been murdered. He however, did not know it was by wolves."

"And Pam?"

"She knew nothing." Eric glanced briefly at Pam's coffin.

"You should have told someone. You don't have to go through this alone, Eric. You have people who care about you." I wanted to reach out to him but I stopped myself.

"Enlighten me with who could possibly care about me?" he shook his head, his eyes narrowing.

"Godric. Pam." I listed off the obvious before inhaling sharply. "And...well me."

His eyes snapped up to me, and for a brief moment, I could see the shock on his face before he was able to mask the emotions.

"Surprised, I know. Why would I care about someone who is such an asshole to me? Believe me, I ask myself that every day." I admitted, inching around the desk until I was only a foot away from his chair. "But I do care, Eric. I care more than I possibly should. But I do, and I doubt that will change."

I couldn't read his expression, I couldn't tell if he was happy at my statement or not. I searched through his emotions, but found that I couldn't feel a single thing coming from the vampire.

"Why can't I feel anything from you?" I asked curiously? "How is it that I didn't when you first came back, but then suddenly could earlier? And now I can't again."

"I can block our bond if I choose to." He explained, his gaze moving away.

"Oh. So then you can't feel me when you do that?"

"No."

"Do you do it often? Close off our bond I mean?" I wondered, fidgeting with my hands.

"Last night was the first time." He answered, and by watching him closely, I could tell he was speaking the truth. "I needed to be able to think without worrying about you."

"Makes sense." I nodded, looking down. "So why are you doing it now?"

"I don't wish to know what you're feeling right now." He responded, once again, completely honest.

I looked up at him in surprise. He wouldn't look me in the eye and I began to wonder if I had done something to anger him.

"Eric?" I questioned

"Did you really think that I wouldn't find out?"

"Find out?" I raised an eyebrow.

He still wouldn't look at me as he reached down to the floor and picked up a discarded shirt. My face paled when I realized it was my shirt. My shirt that had been ripped by Godric while in the act.

"I could feel your arousal, feel your excitement. I knew of what you had been doing before finding this. This was merely proof." He tossed the ripped shirt at me, a look of anger crossing his face. "You may leave now."

My face fell. "Eric, it's not what you think."

"What I think is that I'd like you to get out of my office. Perhaps you should go find Godric, I'm sure he'll be happy to amuse you." He responded bitterly.

"Eric that's not fair."

"Life isn't fair, Ellie. That has been proven time and time again. Now leave. I don't have time for whores." He growled.

I could feel tears popping in my eyes at the insult. "You're an asshole, Eric."

"Would you really like me to share how I feel about you at the moment?"

I stood, shaking my head as I tried to force back the tears. "Say what you want, but I didn't..."

"I don't want to hear what you did and did not do." He held up a hand and waved me away.

I turned and made to walk towards the door. But something stopped me. I couldn't leave that office knowing Eric thought Godric and I had slept together. I couldn't bear to have Eric hate me for something that didn't occur. Yes, it almost did, but it ended up not happening. He needed to know that. So I spun back around, rubbed at my eyes quickly before placing my hands on my hips.

"I didn't sleep with him, Eric."

"I said get out."

"Think what you want, but we didn't end up having sex." I tried to make him believe. "We almost did, but we didn't."

"I asked you to get out nicely, Ellie. Don't make me force you."

"Stop being a jerk, Eric!" I threw my hands up in the air. "I didn't have sex with Godric!"

"And I'm just supposed to believe that?" He finally turned towards me, his eyebrow raised.

"Yes!"

"Somehow, Ellie, I just don't believe that." He snarled.

"He called out Kyra's name, you asshole!" I suddenly just blurted out. "Before anything could happen, he called me by his former love's name. Are you happy? We didn't have sex because your maker can't get over someone he loved 1400 years ago. We didn't have sex because the only reason he's ever cared about me is because I look like her."

The look on his face was expressionless and that just infuriated me even more. A tear slipped down my cheek as I angrily turned around, ready to just leave. I was shocked however, when a hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me from leaving. I didn't turn back around and just kept my back to the Viking as I tried to calm myself down.

"Don't worry, Eric, I haven't had sex with Godric, and I doubt I ever will." I muttered sadly. "I don't seem to be enough for anyone. I'm not enough for him and I'm...I'm never enough for you."

I used my free hand to wipe away the tears that were slowly beginning to escape, pleading with them silently to stop. I didn't want to cry in front of Eric. I didn't want to show him my weaker side.

"Don't do that. Don't cry." I felt a tugging at my wrist, pulling me backwards and towards him.

Before I knew it, I felt an arm around my waist, hoisting me up onto his lap. I was surprised at first, and struggled to get off. But he secured his arm around my waist, holding me against him tightly. I sighed and looked down at my lap, not wanting to look him in the eye. His hand moved up to my cheek, his thumb brushing away the tears as they fell. I felt him lean forward and shuddered as his tongue flicked out to lick at the salty tears.

"Stop it." he spoke softly. "I cannot deal with you crying."

I nodded and did my best to keep myself calm. I sniffed a few times before I felt the tears begin to dry up.

"I...I apologize." He spoke suddenly. "I'm not exactly in the greatest of moods."

"I-I know." I bit my bottom lip and snuck a glance up at him. "We didn't sleep together, Eric. You have to believe that."

He sighed but nodded. "I do."

I was glad, but wasn't sure what to say next. I went to look back down, but he clasped a finger under my chin and kept my head in place.

"You're mine, little one. I don't wish to ever share you." The finger trailed up my cheek, caressing the skin. "Not even with my maker."

"I'm not some possession, Eric. I'm a person." I reminded him.

"I understand that. But know, Ellie, that I'm a thousand year old vampire. I cannot control my urges. And with you...there are just so many."

I gulped at the look in his eyes, like he was willing to take me right then and there in his office, even if his progeny was sleeping in the coffin only a few feet away. I felt my cheeks heat up, and I was glad that Eric had closed off our bond for the time being.

`You should sleep, little one."

"So should you." I pointed out.

"I will survive. I do not want you to be uncomfortable, however." He tightened his arm around my waist, pulling me even closer.

I found my head falling on his shoulder on its own accord. One minute I wanted to rip his head off, and the next I was in his lap and wanting nothing more than to make love to him. Was this what love was supposed to be like? Was I supposed to both hate and love him?

"Sleep, Ellie. All will be well when you wake up." He ran a hand through my hair soothingly.

"That seems unlikely."

He chuckled. "Perhaps. But perhaps I'm also right."

"Maybe." I stated simply, my eyes slowly drooping. "I don't want to fall asleep."

"You're safe, little one." He assured, still running his hand through my hair, as if knowing the action made me sleepier. "Go to sleep."

"Do you care at all about me, Eric?" I asked suddenly, my eyes closed now.

Eric hesitated before responding. "In my own way."

"Will I ever be enough?"

"Go to sleep Ellie." His voice was soft.

"Will I?"

He spoke in another language under his breath and I knew I would never get an answer from the vampire, one that I understood that is.

"Sleep, little one." I felt him kiss the top of my head.

It wasn't long until I found myself drifting off, feeling safe in Eric's arms.

* * *

**A/N:** okay, so there was some mean Eric in there too, but it was inevitable. There was cuteness though at the end! I switched out the office scene with him and Pam so I could have Eric and Ellie talk. Eric was just so vulnerable and not himself during that scene (i swear it kinda makes me wanna cry whenever I watch it, so sad) so figured it would be a great time for Eric and Ellie to have some form of a heart to heart. this is all a product of staying up till like 5 in the morning because my stupid brain refused to let me sleep. so hopefully its not too horrible.


	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine:**

As I felt a light breeze hit my face, the sound of chirping birds meeting my ears, I thought I was having a simple dream. I felt grass beneath my fingers as they explored where I was lying, feeling the stems of flowers littered around me. I let my eyes open slowly, the glare of the sun causing me to squint. The sky was clear and the brightest shade of blue I've ever seen. Birds flew past, singing happily to one another as they flapped their wings. Everything felt so peaceful as I slowly drew myself up into a sitting position. I glanced around at where I was lying in a field alone, and immediately recognized it from my last visit.

"Here again." I mumbled to myself as I pulled myself up to my feet, taking a look around at the peaceful heaven of sorts for Phoenixes.

There was no one around, not like the last time I had been pulled here. It was a smoother transition than before as well. I looked around, trying to find any sign that Kyra or anyone else was around, but didn't see a thing. I sighed as I turned around to get a better look at where I was, and jumped when I saw Kyra standing there, a small smile on her face.

"God you scared me." I laid a hand over my racing heart.

"Sorry." She stepped forward.

I nodded and waited until my heart calmed down to talk. "What am I doing here again? And so soon?"

"We needed to talk. There are urgent matters." She explained.

"Aren't there always urgent matters?"

She ignored me and waved her hand, a bench appearing out of thin air. I raised an eyebrow but walked over to sit beside her. I couldn't help but have conflicted feelings as I sat here with Kyra. It wasn't like it was her fault Godric wasn't over her and happened to call out her name right when we were about to have sex. She didn't play a part in that. But I couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous that Godric had loved her unconditionally, meanwhile, he only seemed to care about me because of who I looked like.

"Are you alright?" She noticed something was wrong.

"Just have a lot on my mind." I faked a smile. "So, what are these urgent matters?"

"They're about the vampire that has been causing you some distress. Jeffrey his name is, I believe."

My heart stopped at his name. "You know about Jeffrey?"

She nodded. "Yes. We hold a certain connection with the Phoenix we create for some time. I suppose it's to help mentor the next Phoenix, guide them along the way. For us, as you truly have my soul attached to yours, our bond is deeper. I know when you're in trouble."

"So you know all about Jeffrey."

"I do. More than you do." A grave look crossed her face. "Ellie, you must know that he is more dangerous than you can possibly comprehend."

"I figured that after he showed up like a ghost in my own home." I nodded. "How could he do that?"

"Jeffrey, before he was turned, he was more than just an average human." She began. "His mother was a powerful witch, the head of a very dangerous coven many years ago. His father however, wasn't even remotely human."

"What do you mean?" My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to make sense of what she was telling me. "How wasn't he human?"

"His father was a demon."

"A demon?" I raised an eyebrow. "Demons exist too?"

"They do. They're incredibly rare to be walking the earth, but they are known to mate with humans to continue the race. His father just happened to mate with a powerful witch."

"So what does that make Jeffrey?" I wondered.

"He's half demon and half human, though his mother taught him everything she knew about witchcraft. He's incredibly powerful, Ellie. His father was able to corrupt minds, control humans and even supernatural beings."

As she was talking, I remembered back to every single incident that happened to involve Jeffrey. That dream in the shower, the one that felt so real; that werewolf that somehow appeared in the house disguised as Eric; Jeffrey appearing like a ghost last night. It was all beginning to make sense. He had the power to do all of those things.

"The dream I had of him, the type that should only happen when I drink a vampire's blood..."

"That was his doing." Kyra nodded. "As was controlling a werewolf to do his bidding. He used his mother's gift of witchcraft to make the illusion that it was Eric, sending him into your home without disturbing any wards."

"And then when he appeared last night..."

"He was corrupting what you saw, what you felt, everything. He made you see what he wanted you to see."

"Wow." I sat back, completely fazed by everything Kyra's just told me. "Big wow."

"Now that he is a vampire, thanks to Russell, he is even more powerful than he was before."

"What does he want with me?" I questioned, turning my head towards her. "Why me?"

"That I'm not entirely sure about." She frowned. "But I do know that he will do whatever possible to claim you as his."

"What about Russell?"

"I suppose that's part of why Russell is searching for you. Jeffrey has so much interest in you that Russell is now intrigued by the power you possess."

"Shit." I ran a hand through my hair. "What now? He knows where I am if he can get into my head. I'll never be safe, no matter where in the world I am. Even if Russell suddenly meets the true death, Jeffrey will still be looking for me."

"That is why," Kyra took my hand in hers. "You have to kill him."

My mouth dropped open. "Kill him? Me? I-I don't know if I can do that."

"You're powerful, Ellie. You need to believe that. You will one day be one of the most powerful being in the world. But you must believe in yourself before that can happen."

"I can barely move Eric with my telekinesis without having a nose bleed." I pointed out. "How in the world do you expect me to kill Jeffrey?"

"There is a way." She assured, standing suddenly. She tugged my hand and I stood beside her. "Come with me."

I raised an eyebrow but nodded and let her lead me through the tall grass. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I was barely paying any attention. I was still trying to stomach everything that I was just told. Like things couldn't get any worse right now, we had to throw all of this into the mix. I knew Jeffrey was dangerous, but to find out he was a half demon and could do witchcraft? That scared the hell out of me. He wanted me, he told me that himself. He wasn't going to stop until he had me, for what reason I didn't know. I wanted to believe that Eric would do everything in his power to make sure that didn't happen, to keep me as his, but he had enough on his plate at the moment. I couldn't very well tell him all of this, to ask him to do this for me. This had to be my task, I just wasn't sure if I could do it.

"Ellie?"

At the sound of Kyra's voice I was pulled back into reality. I blinked and looked around at where we were. Before us stood what appeared to be an old farmhouse. It looked decayed, like a single gust of wind would knock it right over. I was hesitant to follow Kyra inside, but I knew there was nothing to fear, not here anyways. This was the one place that I knew I was safe, that nothing could possible happen.

"Demons are incredibly hard to kill." Kyra explained as we entered the farmhouse that looked completely empty except for a cabinet on the other side of the room. "While Jeffrey is only a half demon, there are still only so many ways it can be done."

"But he's a vampire, can't he just be staked or however else you kill a vampire?" I questioned.

"Unfortunately, no. The fact that he is a vampire doesn't change that he has demon blood in him. That is why he is so dangerous, Ellie, he cannot die like a vampire."

Well that wasn't good. "So how can he die then?"

"You'll see." She led the way over to the cabinet and slowly drew it open. My eyes nearly popped out when I saw the inside, staring at the array of weapons in complete surprise.

"What is all of this?" I asked, amazed that such a peaceful place held such items.

"Useful tools that we have accumulated over time. Some are useless now, but others, like this," Kyra opened a dark wooden box and lifted out a dagger that awed me. "Are still useful to this day."

I've never seen anything like it. The handle was pure gold, beginning at the very bottom up until what appeared to be a wide winged bird that flared outwards, a single red ruby placed where I would suspect a heart would be. The blade itself had a slight curve, but appeared to be silver except for a single stripe of gold that was woven through the blade. I just stared at it with wide eyes, caught between being amazed at the beauty, and scared as hell at ever having to come close to such an object.

"This dagger appeared beside the first human Phoenix. Do you remember the story you were told about how the Phoenixes came to be?"

I nodded numbly, never taking my eyes off the weapon.

"It was said that this dagger was to protect Phoenixes from all evil that may exist. We may be able to wield powers from within, but there are still some, like demons, the children of the devil, that not even we can kill."

"But...But that...It can kill a-a demon?"

Kyra nodded. "This is one of the few weapons that can penetrate a demons soul."

"And I'm...I'm supposed to use that...to kill Jeffrey?" I felt sick just thinking about it.

"It's the only way, Ellie." Kyra must have noticed my reluctance and she set the dagger back in the elegant box. "I understand this is a lot for you to take in. You must be scared and frightened. If I could take your place, I would. But this is your fight, Ellie. This is yours and yours alone."

I bowed my head, feeling every possible emotion sneaking up on me.

"But you are not alone, either, Ellie. I and all of the Phoenixes, we are always with you. Trust yourself, know what you can do. There is nothing wrong with being scared. But wield that fear and use it to your advantage." Kyra laid her hands on my shoulders. "Jeffrey will not stop until he has you. The only way to put a stop to it will be to kill him, and that can only be done with this. This is your destiny, Ellie."

I closed my eyes tightly as I tried to take control of the emotions I was feeling. Being told that you had to seek after, and kill a half demon, was a lot to undertake. I couldn't simply go to Eric and plead for his help. He had a vampire three times his age vying to kill him in revenge. Godric...I couldn't even think of going to Godric with this. Andre didn't deserve to be thrown even more into my drama; he had his own worries to deal with. Kyra was right; Jeffrey wouldn't stop until he had me in his grasps, and I couldn't even imagine the things he would do to me. The only way to stop it will be to kill him once and for all. And unfortunately, that involved me doing the deed. I needed to do this, as scary as it was. I needed to find the strength, somehow, and kill him. Kyra was presenting me with the weapon that could do this; I had all that I needed. I didn't want to do this, I just wanted to curl up in a corner and let the world pass me by. But that couldn't happen. This wouldn't just go away by wishing it to. He needed to be killed, and unfortunately I was the only one who could get the job done.

"You can do this Ellie." Kyra encouraged. "I know you can do this. You know you can, you just need to believe in yourself."

I sighed and finally opened my eyes, looking up into the identical set of green eyes. "I don't really have much of a choice in the matter."

Kyra squeezed my shoulders in comfort before they fell down to her side. "The dagger cannot be travelled between the worlds with."

"So then how..."

"You will need to find it once you are back." She informed.

"Great, more of a challenge." I muttered.

"The dagger will fall to a safe location." She assured.

"How do I find it? Just go searching everywhere?" things just couldn't be easy, could they?

"It should be somewhere close, perhaps somewhere you've already been. You'll know, Ellie. You'll feel a pull. This dagger is a part of you. When you are close, you'll know."

"This is going to warrant a very big excuse to Eric as to why I'm going all over the place."

"You'll think of something." Kyra smiled. "There isn't much time left, you'll be returning in only moments."

"So what do I do once I have it? Stab him in the heart?" I asked hurriedly, wanting to know everything that I can.

"Directly in the heart. He should die almost instantly, or so I've been told." Kyra nodded. "Good luck, Ellie. I have faith in you."

"You're the only one at the moment." I sighed before feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion beginning to set in. "I think I'm being sent..."

I never had the chance to finish before I was collapsing, my consciousness slipping away.

* * *

I awoke in Eric's office with a start. My eyes were wide as I sat up, everything that had been talked about still fresh in my mind. I looked around and realized that I was sitting on the leather couch and no longer Eric's lap. Both coffins were now empty and I realized the sun must have set while I was asleep. I shook my head, trying to rub away the slight headache I felt coming on as I threw my legs over the side of the couch and stood up. I wobbled a bit before gaining my balance and began out of the office. As I walked out into the main bar area, the guards were still littered around, keeping an eye on everything. I spotted Andre and Pam sitting at one table, while Godric and Eric sat opposite of one another at the table beside theirs. I hesitated at first before slowly making my way over, contemplating where I should go. I found myself gravitating toward Eric however, and came to stop beside him.

"Sleep well?" Eric didn't look up from staring down at the table.

"I guess." I shrugged, looking at him closely. "You look even worse than earlier, Eric."

"I'm fine." He lifted his head up to look at me. He frowned as he looked me up and down. "You look terrible yourself. Are you sure you slept peacefully?"

"I wouldn't exactly say it was peaceful."

He sent me a questioning glance, but I simply didn't elaborate. I felt Godric's eyes on me, and couldn't help but glance at him quickly. When our eyes locked, he looked to want to say something, but I looked away, turning my gaze back on Eric. An arm slid around my waist, pulling me up against Eric's side. There was a skip in my heart as our bodies touched, and even then in such a tense moment, he was still able to make me feel butterflies in the pit of my stomach.

We were all pulled out of our silent thoughts when the door to the bar creaked open and Nan Flanagan graced us with her presence. Eric must have allowed our bond to flow, as I felt an immense amount of worry rush through me. His arm tightened around me, and I slipped my hand into his and gave it a squeeze. I wasn't exactly sure how I could send him the same wave of calm he had done for me back in New Orleans, but I thought only calm and happy thoughts and hoped that it would work. He tilted his head in my direction after a moment, his eyes saying all that I needed to know.

"You look like shit." Nan reached where we were situated.

"Well I feel fantastic." Eric replied sarcastically, turning his head in her direction.

Nan raised an eyebrow before rolling her eyes and opening a white letter that I only assumed held the ruling made by the Authority. I held my breath as we all waited.

"The ruling is as follows." Nan looked Eric dead in the eyes before gazing down at the paper. "The Authority disavows any knowledge of our interview, your statement, or indeed this ruling itself. None of this ever happened."

My eyes widened and Eric took the words right out of my mouth. "What?"

"Missing royals, dead Magisters, it's a political tar baby no one wants to touch." She held out the ruling for Eric to see with his own two eyes.

Eric's arm fell from my side and I watched as he stood, towering over Nan's form.

"Russell will not stop killing. What if the human public learns of it?" he questioned.

"That's why you're going to take care of it." Nan answered simply.

I looked up at Eric for a moment before glancing at the others. Godric looked grave as he stared down at the table, while Pam looked like someone had just killed her best friend.

"Quietly." Nan crossed her arms. "Discreetly. And most important of all, completely off the books. You wanted revenge? It's yours."

Eric looked to Godric, who looked up to share a look with his child.

"What resources are you going to give me?"

"None. I'm not getting near it." Nan turned and began towards the exit.

"How do you expect me to kill him? He's three times my age. He's older than Godric." Eric looked baffled.

"Listen you whiney little bitch." Nan spun around on her heel, her cold eyes narrowed into slits. "The only link between Sophie-Anne, Russell and the magister is you. You brought us this steaming pile of shit, and you're going to make it go away."

Eric looked ready to strike her, and probably would have if Godric hadn't stood and appeared at Eric's side before he could do anything he might regret.

"Bring me his fangs. Or I will have yours."

With that, she waved her hands and she and the guards left quicker than a blink of an eye. After a moment of just staring at the now closed bar doors, I let out the breath I had been holding and looked up at Eric. I could feel the anger rolling off of him and I chose to take a step back, not wanting to be in his war path should he choose to show that anger. It proved to be a good idea because the moment I took a step closer to where Andre sat, the table was thrown against the room and smashing against the wall. I jumped as Eric threw the chairs as well, destroying them completely.

"My child." Godric laid a hand on his arm.

Eric however, pushed his hand away and glared down at Godric with so much hate I didn't think was even possible. Where had the love gone that he had for his maker?

"Don't." He growled before brushing past him roughly and storming to the back.

* * *

**A/N:** so we finally find out about Jeffrey! It's a bit ironic actually...since the beginning I've had the plan of having Jeffrey a half demon, and now i'm obsessed with Supernatural. So I may have slightly took a small idea from supernatural and just enhanced it for this story. If your a fan of supernatch, then you can probably pick it out. I didn't actually realize it until I was editing and it hit me like a brick. But, I have the entre last part of this story figured out, and it requires this information, so i'm gonna roll with it. I hope your all enjoying the rapid chapters being posted, I just cant seem to stop writing lol


	31. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty:**

"Have you calmed down yet?" I found Eric pacing furiously in the basement. I was surprised to find that Nan had been right, the entire basement smelled and looked perfectly clean. Now I knew Eric well enough, I would like to think, to know that this basement was never cleaned unless there was a dire need for it. Like when he apparently ripped apart a body down here months ago. I shuddered at the thought and slowly began down the stairs, keeping my eyes on Eric the entire time. I leaned against the railing once I reached the bottom, waiting for a sign that he had heard me, or at least knew that I was there. After a moment, and before I decided to just walk up to him, he tilted his head in my direction while pacing.

"What?" he snapped.

"I was just checking on you." I held my hands up in defence. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He growled.

"Oh yeah, I can see that." I rolled my eyes. "Why are you so angry? You got what you wanted, Eric. You wanted revenge, well you've got it."

"Not like this." He clenched his fists.

"What were you expecting?" I asked curiously. "This was the first time I've met Nan, and even I could tell she wasn't going to get involved and help with this."

"He's going to continue to kill."

"And that's why we stop him." I shrugged. I wasn't sure when my frame of mind changed from 'shit we're all going to die' to 'we can still beat them', but I had a feeling it had to do with my own mission of killing Jeffrey. Eric and I seemed to have our own demons to battle; just his happens to not be an actual demon and mine was. But nonetheless, we both needed to find our inner strength. Neither Jeffrey nor Russell can stay alive. They'll be searching for us for the rest of our lives, which happened to be a rather long time. I didn't want that. I wanted to live a semi normal life at some point. Did I want to do this, search for a dagger and kill a half demon? Hell no, but there was nothing else I could possibly do. The same was for Eric. We were stuck in this predicament and there was nothing we could do about it.

"He's older than all of us. Stronger."

"Crazier too. Did you see that news report? I don't think I've ever seen someone rip a spine out of anyone before." I felt a chill run up my spine as I thought back to the sickening sight on TV only moments after Nan had left Fangtasia.

"Do you think this is funny?" he was suddenly in front of me.

I had to crane my head up just to look at him as he towered over me. He still hadn't learned a thing about personal space apparently.

"We could all die, do you understand that?" his piercing blue eyes bore down at me.

"I'm very aware of that fact, Eric. You don't need to remind me." I took a step up onto the first stair, trying to gain space between us. "But we can't exactly change what's happened. Russell needs to die. It's either you or him, and personally, I'd rather have you around for a little while longer."

Eric didn't utter a word as he just stared down at me. Even having taken a step up, he was still so much taller than I was. I contemplated taking another step up, but before I could act on it, Eric raised a hand to the back of my neck. I was about to question him when suddenly his lips were on mine. I was shocked at first, not understanding why he had just suddenly kissed me. But all thoughts were thrown out the window as I responded to the kiss, not letting a moment of it go to waste. Eric tugged me closer by the back of my neck while his other hand cupped my cheek. My own hands wrapped around his neck, gripping him tightly as we kissed passionately. I almost forgot for a moment that I needed to breathe in order to live until Eric pulled back for a mere second before assaulting my lips once again.

I felt my back hit the wall and found Eric to be pressed against me. None of it mattered as I stood on the tip of my toes, trying to get as close to the vampire as humanly possible. I knew things would have gone much further if the basement door hadn't opened, alerting us to another presence. Eric growled, pulling away just enough so his forehead was leaning against mine.

"What?"

"Sorry to break up your little moment." Pam's sarcastic voice came from the top of the stairs. "But its nearing dawn, we need to discuss accommodations."

Eric sighed, his eyes closing for a moment. "I'll be right there."

"Mhmm, of course you will." Pam snickered before turning and leaving the two of us alone once again.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. I felt like a teenager caught making out with her boyfriend. For that one split moment, I actually felt normal, I actually felt a little bit happy. It wouldn't last, it was impossible for it too. Eric had to find a way to kill Russell, and I had to track down this dagger to kill Jeffrey. But hell, it was nice to feel like every other twenty something year old, just for once.

"Go." I patted his chest lightly. "Before she has to come back."

"I wouldn't care." Eric opened his eyes, his blue orbs looking down into my bright green ones. Like always, I just got lost this those eyes. I hoped to god that we all got through this, because those beautiful eyes were too stunning to never be seen again.

"Neither would I, but I think Pam would." I smiled up at him before pecking him on the lips. "Come on, I'm getting tired anyways, it's been a long night."

I slipped around Eric and took his hand, squeezing it softly.

"We are going to figure this out Eric. This isn't going to be the end." I stated determinedly.

Eric was silent as he allowed me to lead him up the stairs and to the basement door. I just prayed that all my optimism wouldn't disappoint me.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when I peeled myself off of the leather couch in Eric's office. The vampires were in the basements sleeping in coffins, still a few hours until sundown from what I guessed. I stretched and looked for the bag that I had brought with me to Fangtasia after leaving the house. I changed into a clean outfit before plopping down in Eric's desk chair, twirling around in it as I thought of what to do. I could have logged onto Eric's computer and browsed the web, but what was the point? I didn't have any friends to catch up with, I could care less about the latest celebrity gossip, and shopping wasn't nearly as much fun when done online. I thought about reorganizing the office, as it was rather cluttered with files and papers littered everywhere. But I knew that if I touched a single thing that didn't concern me, Eric would flip, so that was out of the question. I could potentially practice my powers, but I wasn't sure if draining myself of energy was a good thing to do right before having to go kill a demon.

At the thought of killing Jeffrey, my eyes seemed to gravitate to the surface of the desk, and more importantly, a set of keys that sat right in the middle. I raised an eyebrow as I reached over and picked the key ring up, dangling the keys around. I tilted my head to the side as I thought of the possibilities.

What better time to go searching for this dagger than while the sun was up? Half demon or not, Jeffrey was still a vampire and still couldn't be out in the daylight. He may not be able to die from the sun, but chances were, he'd still get pretty injured. Which meant I could find the dagger and have it in my possession before he knew I wasn't under any sort of protection. And hopefully before the others knew I was gone. I wasn't sure when or how I would look for Jeffrey, but right now getting the dagger was the priority. I could figure everything else out later.

"Eric is going to be so pissed." I muttered to myself.

I almost talked myself out of it. Almost that is. I knew this had to be done, and no one would understand, or possibly let me leave their sights once the sun was down. All I needed to do was find this sucker and be back before sunset. I could do that. I just hoped the dagger was somewhere close.

Knowing if I sat there thinking it over any longer, I really would talk myself out of it, I jumped up and gripped the keys tightly.

"I'm so dead for doing this." I grabbed my jacket from the back of the couch and slipped it on before making my way out of the room.

I tip toed to the end of the hallway, where the back door was located. I knew it was possible that Godric or Eric, the oldest of the four vampires, could be waking up at any moment. But I had to take that chance. I inhaled sharply, my hand on the door handle.

"I can do this." I whispered to myself, pushing the door open and letting a stream of sunlight into the hallway. "I can do this."

* * *

I drove myself through all of Shreveport at least twice before realizing there was no possible way the dagger was stashed somewhere in the city, if it had even been sent down to earth yet. I could very well be searching for something that wasn't even here. And how the hell was I supposed to find it? Kyra didn't exactly give me much to go by. What, was I supposed to have some sort of Spidey sense? I was really beginning to doubt all of this. I was going to end up either getting myself lost on some back road out in the middle of nowhere, or worse, not make it back to Fangtasia before the sun set. And if that occurred, there really wasn't much point in going back, as I was likely to be ripped to shreds for having ever left the bar in the first place.

I groaned as I stopped at a stop sign, my forehead hitting the top of the steering wheel. Why couldn't one thing just go right? Why couldn't I just find this damn thing and kill Jeffrey already? I was tired of having to rely on vampires all the time to fight my battles. I just wanted to be the strong, powerful Phoenix that everyone believed that I was.

"Where are you, stupid dagger?" I asked out loud before a car honked behind me.

Sighing, I pressed down on the gas and continued on my way out of Shreveport. The only other place I could think to look was in Bon Temps. If it wasn't somewhere in the small little town, then I really did have no idea where it could possibly be. But there was still a small ounce of determination surging through me, and until that flicker of hope died, I was going to do whatever I could to find it.

So I drove, the sun setting in the distance, and my heart sinking at every passing second. But I kept driving until I passed the familiar _Welcome to Bon Temps_ sign. I thought about going to Merlottes and getting a drink, needing alcohol if I was going to have to go back to Shreveport empty handed to meet my doom. But I held off on the whim, until at least after I couldn't find the damn thing. I drove passed the already busy bar and grill, passed the little shops and right on pass Sookie's house before I began to give up. Bon Temps wasn't big, there weren't that many places it could possibly be.

As I was passing by the cemetery between Sookie and Bill's house, about to turn around, something beyond my control occurred. It was like the wheels of the car struck a stretch of ice, except there wasn't even a lick of ice for miles around. My eyes grew wide as the car skidded, screeching loudly as I tried to desperately keep control of the car. The car seemed to have a mind of its own as it twisted and turned, completely out of my hands as it skidded right into the ditch, crashing head on into a tree.

I winced as my entire body was jostled forward, crashing into the steering wheel at full force. I was just thankful I had worn my seat belt, or else I had a feeling I wouldn't have fared so well. The alarm of the car was going off loudly, stinging my ears as I tried to get a bearing of what had happened. My eyes were unfocused and I started to panic. This was why I shouldn't go anywhere without some sort of escort. Bad luck just seemed to follow me around.

"Stupid stupid stupid." I grumbled over and over again as I tried to undo my seat belt with shaky hands.

Pulling it off of me and sighing at the freedom it allowed, I tried to take in the damage. Eric was absolutely going to kill me. The front of the car was wrapped around the large tree, completely destroyed and unsalvageable. The window had been cracked, but thankfully not smashed. The steering wheel was still jabbed into me, pinning me to my seat. I attempted to push open the door, hoping I could wiggle out. I hadn't thought to bring a phone with me, and I doubt there were many cars on this stretch of road.

"Never again." I grabbed onto the open door and proceeded to drag myself out of the car.

I let out a cry of pain as my body ached from the crash, but thankfully was able to manoeuvre myself out. I fell onto the grass of the ditch breathing heavily and trying to get my mind focused. Something caused that car to go out of control, something unnatural; something magical.

"Really? You couldn't just have a flashing sign." I glared up at the sky.

"_Go."_

My head whipped around at the voice. It had been so soft that at first I thought I had just imagined it.

"_Go."_

Okay, not imagining. My heart began to race as I scrambled up onto my feet, limping slightly as pain shot up my ankle. I bit down hard on my bottom lip as I turned around to look at my surroundings. When I realized the entrance to the cemetery was across the street, I groaned loudly. It couldn't have been in a candy factory, it had to be in the place with all the dead people and the eeriest part of town. Of course. Just my friggin luck. Awesome.

"Really starting to hate this job." I muttered as I began limping across the street, my mind set on finding this dagger. Though I now had no way of getting back to Shreveport, and Eric was likely to kill me for destroying his car. Great, just great.

I entered the cemetery with a watchful eye. The sun was setting rapidly, and I knew at any time Jeffrey could show up, or even Russell himself. I just needed to find this dagger and I would be fine. I moved my way through the many rows of tombstones, my eyes roaming over every inch of the small town cemetery. I stopped briefly in front of Bill's grave, shuddering slightly, before moving on. When I was close enough to the edge that I could see part of Sookie's house, I contemplated just going over to see if the blonde was home, and hopefully safe and sound. But then I would have to find another time to get away from Eric's watchful eye to find this dagger, and I knew that would never happen. So I continued on, slow as I was because of my ankle.

"This is hopeless." I stopped to rest, leaning on a tombstone and closing my eyes, wishing I was home and curled up in a nice warm bed.

It was then that I felt a sudden warmth envelope my body. My eyes flew open, looking every which way until my eyes fell on a tree only feet away. I frowned as I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what was drawing my attention to the simple tree. And then it happened. A rumble sounded under the ground, shaking beneath my feet. I hopped up, ignoring the pain in my ankle, and braced myself for whatever was happening. But as soon as it began, it stopped. Not without some surprises however. Lying beneath the tree, which had been only dirt and grass seconds ago, now laid a box.

The exact wooden box the dagger had been placed in.

"Oh thank you god!" I grinned despite everything and hurried over.

I fell down onto my knees and cracked the box open, relieved to see the shining blade of the dagger gleaming up at me. I didn't waste a moment as I pulled the dagger out and held it close to my body. I was so thankful to finally have it in my hands, to have such a powerful weapon. I didn't care that the night sky was now dark, that there was howling off in the distance. I just cared that I had the weapon of choice to kill Jeffrey and to end the taunting and fear. I felt invincible as I knelt there with the dagger, oblivious to all that was around me.

"Well now, isn't this a surprise?"

That voice drove a nail through me. I whipped around, pulling myself up onto my feet as I did so.

"Jeffrey."

* * *

**A/N:** uh oh, she found the dagger but she isn't alone. Big showdown? well i did say Ellie was going to start kicking some ass. took me forever to write this chapter. and of course, I get inspiration while i'm studying for an exam tomorrow. but hey, when I get inspiration, I just can't stop writing!

I really truly blame my obsession with Supernatural for slowing my writing down. I seriously think everyone needs to go watch that show pronto. it's currently tied with true blood as best show ever. also tied with true blood for the hottest cast ever. i think im more obsessed with that show than true blood...shocking, I know...but this is what happens when we have to go such a long time without the greatness of Eric Northman.


	32. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty One:**

There Jeffrey stood, looking as he always did dressed in black, dark hair falling into his face. I shuddered just looking at him, the fear surging through me. But I couldn't forget about the dagger I had in my possession. I held it to my side, hiding it from view as best as I could. I couldn't let Jeffrey know I had the weapon that could kill him. He would do everything in his power to make sure I didn't have an opportunity to use it, possibly even killing me beforehand. But I wouldn't let that happen. I couldn't. This was going to be the end of the terror, of the fear. I was going to live peacefully and not have to look over my shoulder, waiting for the half demon to appear out of thin air. No, this was going to end tonight, one way or another.

"So they let the dog off the leash." Jeffrey mused as he took a step forward.

"I was never on a leash." I narrowed my eyes, taking a step back, hitting into the trunk of the tree.

"Oh Ellie." He snickered, flicking a strand of hair out of his coal eyes. "You are so naive. Why do you think they kept you so well guarded, so locked up?"

My body tensed as he appeared before me, not giving me a moment to try and get away. My hands began to shake as he reached a hand up, brushing the hair off my shoulder. He lowered his head down, his nose nuzzling the crook of my neck, causing my eyes to close tightly.

"They knew what I could do to you." He whispered into my ear, his fangs grazing at the skin right below the lobe.

He was so close; all I had to do was reached around him and plunge the dagger into his heart. But as I attempted to do so, the slightest movement of my hand alerted the half demon vampire. He grabbed onto my arm tightly, twisting it painfully until my entire body was now facing the tree, a sickening pop in my shoulder. I let out a scream of pain as he dislocated my shoulder, the dagger falling to the ground as my hand's grip slackened.

"Aren't you a naughty one?" He let my arm fall lifelessly to my side as he pressed himself against me. "Trying to kill me? That isn't very nice. I'm going to have to punish you."

"I'm going to kill you." I gritted my teeth. "Mark my words, you will die."

"Such idle threats." I caught sight of his smirk out the corner of my eye before I felt myself being thrown across the cemetery, my body smashing into a set of tombstones.

I groaned in agony, my body crumpling to the ground. I tried to push myself up, but with my aching ankle and useless arm, I was hardly able to move an inch. I did however, feel myself being lifted up, only to be thrown back into the tree, the back of my head meeting with the trunk.

"It's no use, my dear Ellie." He knelt down beside me as I coughed out blood. "You can't kill me. But I, on the other hand, oh I'm going to enjoy you." I felt sick to my stomach as his fingers danced over my neck, down my shoulder, to my side and stopping just near my breast. "All of you."

"No." I growled, refusing to give up. Every inch of my body told me it was useless. But I just couldn't let this be it. I couldn't let Jeffrey torture me, use me in ways I could never imagine, until the day he was bored and he finally killed me. I was too stubborn to allow that to happen.

"There's no point in fighting. I'm only going to hurt you. You might as well come willingly." He advised.

"Never." I used whatever strength I could muster to spit into his face, a drop of blood dripping down his face.

He didn't seem fazed at all by my act, and simply wiped it away. He took the drop of blood and sucked it off of his finger, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the taste of my blood. It was like a light went off in my head at that moment. My eyes quickly searched for the dagger and found it lying only a few feet away. I tried with all my might to crawl over to it, my entire body screaming in pain. Jeffrey was pulled out of his trance when he heard me move and immediately grabbed me by the throat and pinned my back against the tree. I stared up at him with defiance in my eyes, determination surging through my veins.

"Perhaps I should have a little taste." He licked his lips as his fangs descended.

As I predicted, and hoped for, he yanked my head to the side and sunk his fangs into my pulsing vein. I cried out in pain at the initial break of the skin, but quickly tried to override the pain. My one hand patted at the ground, searching for the dagger that I knew was within reaching distance. I just needed to find it. Before it was too late. Jeffrey was hungrily drinking form me, and for a moment, I thought that he would forget that he wanted to keep me around and just kill me now. My eyes were growing blurry, black dots appearing in my vision. I knew that if I didn't hurry, it would be my body that would be buried in this cemetery next.

I was met with glee when my fingers grasped the handle of the dagger. Will shot through me as I gripped it tightly, using whatever strength I had left to raise it over Jeffrey. The half demon had no idea what I was doing as he sucked and sucked, trying to drink every drop from my body. My arm was growing limp, but I knew what I had to do and I refused to deter. Without a moment of hesitance, I plunged the dagger down into Jeffrey's chest, hoping to god I had good aim.

"You little bitch!" Jeffrey growled, snapping back before his eyes grew wide.

I watched as he eyes flashed a blinding red, a matching light emitting from his open mouth before his body crumpled to the side. I stared in wonder at the unmoving body, watching as it slowly began to deteriorate.

"Have fun in hell." I grunted just before his entire body turned to ash and a sudden gust of wind blew the remains away.

I grabbed the dagger in my hand, blood staining the blade as I held it to my body. I closed my eyes, my entire being relaxing as I came to terms with Jeffrey finally being dead. That was when I remembered the pain. My ankle, my shoulder, my neck, hell, my entire friggin body felt like it was being beaten with a brick. I needed help, in any shape or form, quickly and before some other big bad vampire came along and decided I was good enough to eat.

"Ellie?"

The voice was familiar but I just couldn't place it. My eyes were going in and out of focused as I heard footsteps grow closer. I hadn't heard anyone before, or seen another soul besides Jeffrey. I wasn't sure if I should be afraid or not.

"What happened to you?"

As the form knelt down beside me, I was relieved to find that it was only Bill.

"Bill..." I winced, my body contracting as I tried to speak. "Help..."

Bill didn't waste a moment before lifting me up into his arms and speeding off to an unknown location.

* * *

I was in an out of consciousness the entire trip that lasted only a couple of seconds. I wasn't sure where I was, but I felt a couch beneath me, and hoped that I was at least somewhere safe.

"Ellie...Ellie you need blood." I heard the familiar crunch of someone biting into their wrist.

"No..." I mumbled, shaking my pounding head. My eyes were closed but I knew what Bill was going to do and I couldn't allow it. Eric would kill me if I let Bill give me his blood, forming a bond. And truthfully, I didn't want to be bonded to Bill Compton. He was Sookie's, and I didn't exactly need another vampire knowing where I was or feeling at all times. "Eric..."

Bill sighed. "It will be too late, Ellie."

"No." I spoke louder, my eyes slowly opening. I forced myself to turn my head to look at him. "I'll be fine."

He shook his head but let his wrist heal and moved away from the couch. I watched through hazy eyes as he walked to the opposite couch, letting his hand weave through Sookie's blonde hair. I was happy to see her in one piece, though wondered where in the world I was.

"Where am..." I couldn't finish my sentence, the pain too much.

"Sookie's brother's house." Bill answered. "Sookie's is unsafe at the moment."

I merely nodded, though wished I hadn't.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright. You've lost a lot of blood."

"Fine." I didn't like his persistent attitude. "I'll be fine."

"Sookie will not care if I heal one of her friends." He insisted.

"Eric." I stated simply.

"Eric would kill me if I allowed you to die without doing anything." He pointed out.

I frowned. I really didn't like that he kept insisting on giving me his blood. Why did he care? I understand that he didn't want to feel either Sookie or Eric's wraths, but he didn't seem like the type to share his blood with anyone. And the way he kept insisting, it was like he was trying to convince me that it was the right thing to do. It rubbed me the wrong way, my instincts going off like a wild fire. Something was wrong, and I didn't like it one bit.

"Bathroom." I muttered, wanting to get out of the room.

I felt myself being lifted up and carried into what I hoped to be the bathroom. Bill set me sitting upright on the closed toilet and stood there awkwardly before turning and leaving the room, the door closing behind him. I let out a sigh the moment I was away from Bill, as if the air was thick and suffocating with him around. I didn't like the feeling in the pit of my stomach, not at all.

I looked around the small bathroom and spotted a cloth on top of the sink. I somehow managed to stand, though I had to use the wall for support. I practically fell onto of the sink counter, my eyes rising to look into the mirror. I immediately looked away, sickened by the amount of blood coating my body. It was enough to make me want to puke. I wondered if Eric or Godric knew I was in pain, that I was gone. Part of me hoped that they were too preoccupied to notice. But another part, the part that didn't like the fact that Bill was in such close proximities to me, hoped that Eric could feel everything I was feeling in our close blood bond.

I was using the cloth with a dab of water to try and wash off whatever blood and dirt that I could when I heard voices in the other room. I stopped and looked towards the door, willing my pounding heart to slow down so I could hear what was being said.

"Yes...yes I understand...she's here. They're both here." Bill's voice was clear, loud even. He must have thought I was too far gone to possibly hear what was being said. "Jeffrey is dead...yes...she killed him...I don't know how...she had some sort of knife...no...she wouldn't let it go..."

I frowned, looking around for the dagger I supposedly still had. I found it on the counter, not even realizing I had set it down.

"Yes your majesty...yes...come quickly...Sookie is asleep...no...she is in the bathroom...I doubt she'll be conscious for much longer...yes sir, I understand...of course Russell..."

My heart dropped. Russell? He was speaking to Russell? So that was why I had such a horrible feeling. Bill was working with the enemy; he was on Russell's side. And here I was, unable to defend myself with a psychotic vampire on his way to possibly finish the job off. What the hell was I supposed to do? When I heard a knock coming from the front door to the house, I braced myself for Russell to come through the bathroom door at any moment. What I wasn't expecting was to hear the voice belonging to the man I never thought I would be happy to see.

"Hello Bill."

"Eric, what are you doing here?" Bill's voice was strained, though there was a hint of glee in his tone. He was probably hoping he would be able to keep Eric here long enough for Russell to arrive.

"We need to talk."

"Now is hardly the time."

"I insist." Eric insisted. "Is that blood I smell?"

I pleaded with all my might that Eric would realize I was here. He could sense me, couldn't he? He couldn't possibly have blocked our bond, not now.

"Fine. Elsewhere, I don't want to wake Sookie." Bill sighed.

"As you wish, follow me."

It felt like all hope was lost. Eric didn't know I was here and he was as good as leaving...

Wait a minute.

He was leading Bill away from the house.

Away from me.

Eric wasn't nearly as idiotic as I thought he was sometimes. The moment I heard the front door close, I willed myself to walk. Every fibre of my being pleaded with me to stop, but I couldn't. Russell could show up at any time and Eric couldn't keep Bill talking forever. I needed to get out of the house as soon as I could and hope Eric would find me whenever he was done. It was the only thing that kept me going as I slowly moved across the small bathroom, using the wall as support. Somehow, with the will of god I suppose, I was able to make my way out of the bathroom and down the small hallway into the main room. I saw the front door and made a beeline for it, temporarily forgetting that my body felt like crumbling into a million pieces. I leaned against the wood of the door for a moment, catching my breath as well as listening out for any voices. Hearing none, I shot a look back to Sookie, praying that she would be alright, before ripping open the door. I nearly screamed when I found Eric standing on the porch, a frightful look gleaming in his eyes.

"You are extremely stupid." He growled before grabbing my arm and pulling me to him.

I cried out in pain but couldn't do a damn thing as he wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted up into the air. My limps slumped against him, my eyes closed as he flew only a short distance before I felt the ground beneath my feet. Eric's arm left my waist, his body disappearing and I felt myself falling to the ground. My eyes opened and I took in a darkened field, Eric's pacing form only a few feet away.

"Not only do you leave, alone, but you steal and destroy my car." He sneered, his eyes catching mine and for a moment I thought he was going to rip me apart. "And then you go and almost get yourself killed. And for what?"

"I killed him." I gasped out.

"At what price?" He was kneeling before me, grasping my chin in his hand. "You're barely able to even breathe. I should just end your suffering."

"Go ahead."

He narrowed his eyes. "You would like that, wouldn't you?"

"I don't care anymore." I replied honestly.

"You stupid stupid girl." He glared down at me before standing and resuming his pacing.

I lied there, curled up on the grass as he paced, muttering in another language. I felt myself fall in and out on consciousness again, not able to count how many times my eyes fluttered open and close during Eric's angry rant. Finally, when I thought I would truly fall unconscious, or possibly even die, I felt something pressed against my lips. As the blood oozed between my cracked lips, I immediately welcomed the liquid. My mouth opened wider, his am encircling my waist and pulling me up into a sitting position against his chest.

"We've all risked our lives to save your ass, and you go and do a stupid thing like this."

"Sorry..." I gulped down as much blood as I possibly could. "Had to."

"You didn't need to do a damn thing, Ellie." He growled in response.

"Needed...to...die." the blood was slowly affecting me, too slowly though. I still felt faint and weak, the pain racking my body.

"Drink faster damnit." Eric must have realized and bit into his wrist again to get the blood flowing harder. I could no longer speak as the wrist muffled my noises. I didn't care, I just wanted his blood.

After what felt like an eternity, I began to slowly feel my body healing itself. I knew it would take days of rest to complete the healing, but it was completely worth it. Jeffrey was dead; I had managed to kill him.

My eyes widened when I suddenly remembered the dagger. I didn't grab it before leaving the bathroom. Which meant it was still there, in that house, with Bill Compton.

I pushed Eric's hand away, shaking my head wildly. "Dagger..."

"You mean this?" Eric pulled out the dagger that was still stained with Jeffrey's blood. He held it out in front of me, taunting me with it. I didn't attempt to take it however, my body slumping against Eric's as I let his blood work its magic on me. "You are an idiot, Ellie. We could have...I could have..."

"No." I shook my head, my eyes closing as I relaxed my body. "It had to be me."

"You didn't need to do this alone." His voice had softened in my ear.

"I needed to."

He sighed as he drew a hand through my hair in a comforting manner. I let every worry, every fear float out of me at that moment as slowly but surely my ankle began to heal, my shoulder piecing itself back together again. And finally, after minutes of continuous pain, my neck sealed itself up, stopping the blood from flowing. I was too out of it to stop Eric as his tongue lapped up at the blood covering my neck and shirt. And truthfully, the action was soothing in a way.

"I'm sorry." I whispered after a moment. "I...I needed to."

"You are going to be the death of me, Elizabeth Cole." I felt his arm tighten around my waist. "You are not leaving my sights, never again."

"Fair enough." I laid my head on his chest, exhaustion starting to fall over me.

"Sleep, Ellie. When you wake up, you might just be chained in the basement to keep you from running off anywhere."

I snorted, knowing that he would do just that if I attempted to pull another stupid stunt.

* * *

**A/N:** Ellie kicked some ass, Jeffrey is dead, Bill is an evil douche, and Eric...well Eric is just Eric. btw, I just realized how many reviews I have for this story...and I'm blown away. as my own worst critic, i never expected to have this many people actually like my writing. so thank you. you have no idea how many times during a horrible day i'm made to smile after reading a review. so thank you :)


	33. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty Two:**

"...reckless...could have gotten yourself killed..."

I rolled my eyes and curled up on the leather couch in Eric's office as he paced and lectured me on my stupidity. He's been going on and on for a good hour, repeating the same thing over and over again that I just started to tune him out. I nodded every so often, so he thought I was listening, but let my mind wander to the vampire that was leaning against the closed office door, his eyes gazing solely on the ground since the moment he entered the room. I was surprised Godric hadn't joined in on the lecturing, telling me I was stupid for going after Jeffrey alone, that I was acting reckless. But he didn't. He didn't say a single word since Eric brought me back. Even Andre offered a few choice words the moment we were back in the bar before Eric whisked me away into the office. But Godric barely even looked my way. I understand that I was angry with him, that I shouldn't care what he thought. But I knew that Eric was only ranting, lecturing me, because he did care about me and my well being. The same for Andre. Godric however, for all I knew, maybe he didn't care at all.

"Are you listening to me?"

I blinked, pulling myself out of my thoughts as I automatically nodded. Eric narrowed his eyes as he stormed over, grasping my chin and forcing me to look up at him.

"You will not do that again, is that understood?" He asked fiercely.

"You know I can't promise that. I'm unpredictable."

Eric lowered himself down to my level. "I said, is that understood?"

I raised an eyebrow, but couldn't help but smile at the furry mixed with worry in his blue orbs.

"Fine, should I feel the need to go off and kill someone again, I'll let you know so you can come along."

He looked like he wanted to argue against my comment, but after a moment he clamped his mouth shut and straightened up to his full height. I chuckled, watching him storm back over to his desk, falling into his chair and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"You will be the death of me, Ellie."

"That will probably be Russell." I corrected. "Not me."

As Eric glared, I rolled my eyes and stood. Godric still refused to look up, and I chose to ignore him as I steadied myself and walked over to the desk slowly. Eric watched me the entire time, his eyes boring into me as I moved around the desk so I was leaning against it only inches from where he sat.

"I'm sorry I ran off Eric, but I had to do it. I probably could have thought it through a bit more, but I'm tired of just sitting around being the weak little girl." I looked down at my fidgeting hands. "I'm supposed to be this powerful being, and I...I just wanted to feel strong, just for once. Wasn't my best idea in the world, but I can't change what happened."

"You could have died."

"I know, and I realize how stupid it was. But I needed to kill him, Eric. I had to. I couldn't..." my eyes rose to meet his. "I couldn't live the rest of my life in fear. I didn't want to spend the next few centuries looking over my shoulder, wondering when he'll show up. He needed to die."

"I could have..."

"Do you even know what kills a demon, Eric?" I questioned, waiting for him to grace me with a response. When he looked to the side silently, I continued. "I did, Eric. That dagger," I pointed to the dagger lying on Eric's desk. "That was the key. I don't know how or why, but it can kill demons. The reason I have it is because Kyra sent it to me."

Eric's head snapped back towards me. "Kyra?"

"Right, you don't know the whole story, do you?" I hopped up onto Eric's desk. "When Godric bit me and...well I thought I was dreaming at first. I went to this place, this Phoenix utopia. Kyra was there, and she told me everything, like everything everything."

I didn't dare look over towards Godric, still hurt about what had occurred the last time we were alone.

"When I fell asleep on your lap the other night, well Kyra pulled me back there to talk. She told me about Jeffrey, about what he was, and how to kill him." I reached over and picked up the dagger. "She sent this down for me to find and kill him with. That's why I went out earlier, to find this. I wasn't expecting to be gone that long or for Jeffrey to show up."

Eric was silent as I traced the engravings on the dagger before setting it back down on the desk. I was about to continue when a hand fell on my knee, causing me to grow deathly silent as I just stared down at the large hand that covered my entire knee cap.

"Next time, you're going to tell us this beforehand." His finger clasped under my chin and lifted my head up. "I do not want to wake up again and find you gone."

"I'm sorry." I truly did mean it. I didn't want to worry Eric or the others, and I certainly didn't want to pull them into my drama because of it. "I really am Eric. I just..."

"I understand." His thumb began to rub small circles on my knee. "Just never again."

I nodded and we both fell silent. I felt the sudden need to be closer to him and I found myself inching closer to his chair. Eric must have understood what I desired and grabbed me by the arm and pulled me onto his lap in only a blink of an eye. I stifled a squeak of surprise and grabbed onto his shoulders to steady myself. I almost forgot Godric was still in the room, not caring about anyone else but Eric at the moment.

"What are we going to do about Bill?" I asked suddenly, remembering that we had left the younger vampire behind.

"He will be dealt with." Eric answered simply.

"When? He's there with Sookie, Eric. He's working with..."

"He's Russell's butt boy, yes I know." He nodded. "But until Russell is taken care of, we cannot deal with the problem."

"But what about Sookie!"

"Sookie will be fine." He assured, his hand moving up to cup my cheek. "You are my concern however. Compton knows what you are; he knows how rare you are."

"Why does he want Sookie anyways? I don't understand."

Eric sighed. "You are not the only rare creature in Louisiana. It's only come to my attention recently that Sookie is a Faerie."

"A what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"The fae are extremely rare. Sookie is only a half fae, but still extraordinarily powerful." He explained. "Not as powerful or nearly as rare as you are, but Russell seems to have a desire for rare artefacts."

"Glad that includes people." I shuddered. "Does Sookie what she is?"

"Yes, Bill informed her of what she was. Or at the very least, that is what he told me when I came to get you."

"So you knew I was there." I felt relieved that it hadn't just been a coincidence.

"Of course I did. I would have been there sooner but your blood was everywhere, it was difficult to find you." Eric frowned. "You are lucky I showed up when I did. Russell would have found you if I hadn't."

"I know, and I'm incredibly thankful." I made sure he knew, leaning closer and pecking his cheek. "So thank you Eric. You always seem to save the day. I know I don't always show that I appreciate it, but I do. I wish you didn't always have to sweep in and save me all the time, this wasn't the life I thought I was going to have. But I'm glad to have you in my life to do so nonetheless."

Eric wouldn't meet my eyes as I said this, though his arm tightened around me. I heard the door to the office close then, and when I looked over, I realized that Godric had left. I was sure this was uncomfortable for him, to see me close to Eric so suddenly after we almost...but what was I supposed to do? Just immediately forgive him for hurting me? He said Kyra's name. Sure it wasn't on purpose, but deep down inside he had wished it had been her, and that's what tore me apart. I wasn't going to hate him forever, that was impossible. But for now I just needed to distance myself, allow the vampire to mull over his own feelings while I did so myself. And if a certain blonde haired Viking happened to be there, caring enough to lecture me about my safety for over an hour, then I wasn't exactly going to complain.

* * *

"You locked the door." I crossed my arms and pouted when Eric entered the office the next night.

"I couldn't have you running off again, now could I?" he smirked as he brushed past me to his desk.

I rolled my eyes and followed, plopping down in one of the seats on the other side of the desk. He had indeed locked me into his office just before dawn while I was falling asleep. When I had awoken just before the sun had set and went searching for food, I found the door locked and spent a good five minutes pounding on the door until I gave up. I couldn't exactly blame him for doing so. I probably would have done the same thing if the circumstances were reversed. And now that Jeffrey was killed and out of the picture, Russell still roaming around, I had no problem with staying here where I was protected.

"So, I hate to bring it up, but what exactly are we going to do about Russell?" I asked as I pulled my legs under me on the chair.

"I don't know." Eric answered honestly, sitting back in his chair with a perplexed expression on his face.

I was about to ask whether or not he's talked game plan with the others when suddenly the door swung open. I turned around only to find Sookie storming into the room, a look of determination on her face while Pam stood by the door, annoyance apparent in her eyes.

"She insisted." Pam placed her hands on her hips.

"She always does." Eric barely turned to acknowledge Sookie's presence. His eyes however, did meet mine and he nodded at the door. "Ellie, leave."

"Why?"

"Leave." He repeated.

I wanted to stubbornly stay there, but one look at Sookie and her pleading eyes, and I slowly forced myself out of the chair.

"You too Pam." Eric voiced as I began out of the room.

Pam muttered a curse but followed behind me, closing the door behind us. We stood in the hallway together, eyes looking at the other silently before Pam raised a finger up to her lips. I silently thanked her with a smile and we listened closely to what was occurring in the office.

"What did you mean when you said you're not going to be around much longer?" She questioned.

"When did I say that?" Eric's voice was full of boredom.

"In my dream."

"Ah, still dreaming of me, are you?"

I frowned, crossing my arms across my chest. Sookie was dreaming about Eric? It was either completely innocent and I was jumping to conclusions, or else I had a reason to suddenly be angry. Had Eric given her his blood that I wasn't aware of? I thought he had made a point that he hadn't formed a bond with that many humans, for he hated all living breathing souls. Hell, he had made it clear that he hated me quite often. This wasn't a onetime thing apparently; Eric had just confirmed that Sookie had had dreams of him in the past. That couldn't just be a coincidence. But had Eric really given her his blood? I didn't want to doubt Eric, but by the way Pam had tensed, I was beginning to believe otherwise.

"Well?" Sookie pressed.

"Don't pretend you care about me." Eric sighed. "This is about Bill. Deep down you know you shouldn't trust him."

Amen to that. Bill Compton was a dirt bag who deserved to be castrated. Could a vampire be castrated? Would it just grow back? I almost wanted to ask Pam, but she must have known I was about to speak and sent me a warning glare.

"Okay, tell me why." Sookie demanded.

We could hear heavy footsteps and I figured Eric had moved away from the desk and closer to the blonde who was having dreams about him. I tried to tell what he was feeling, but I couldn't tell at all. He must have closed off our bond the moment Sookie wanted to talk to him. That thought didn't comfort me at all.

"Well here's the truth. There are forces beyond even my control. If I meet the true death without having at least kissed you, Sookie Stackhouse, that would be my biggest regret."

It felt my heart was being ripped out, piece by piece, forcefully and painfully.

"Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye to me?" Sookie questioned.

"Because I am."

I couldn't breathe as I just stood there, staring at the closed office with tears in my eyes. From the look on Pam's face, I knew that the silence that met my ears was because Eric had kissed Sookie. That alone was enough to cause me to break down. The past few days I had thought Eric somewhat cared. At least enough to not go around kissing my best friend. But there he was, just on the other side of this door, kissing someone that wasn't me. I had thought the pain I felt when Godric had called me by Kyra's name was excruciating. But this...this was a hundred times worse. Was this his way of getting back at me for what happened with Godric?

"Go." Pam whispered urgently, her hand grasping the door handle. She gave my shoulder a short squeeze, and, for the first time since knowing her, showed a bit of compassion towards me.

She didn't need to tell me twice. I hurried down the hallway towards the bathroom, seconds away from breaking down. The last thing I heard before ducking into the women's bathroom was Pam's annoyed voice.

"Blah blah, vampire emergency, blah."

* * *

It felt like hours I stood there, in the bathroom just staring off into space. In fact, only minutes had passed, but it didn't seem to matter to me. There were tears waiting to escape, but I forced them back, rubbing at my eyes until they were nearly red. This was not the time to be crying, even though my heart, what was left of it, was just brutally beaten and ripped apart. I had felt hurt and heartbroken by Godric, but this...this felt like part of me died. Maybe that meant I did truly care for Eric more, that I loved him more than I could possibly ever love anyone else. But I wished it didn't. I didn't want to feel like this, not when there was a psychotic vampire out for our blood. Why did he have to do this now? Couldn't he wait to break my heart until after we were all either dead or extremely lucky?

Just the thought of Russell brought me back to reality. I sniffed and turned around, gazing at myself in the mirror for any traces of tears. I couldn't be emotional right now. I wanted to tear Eric a new one, I wanted to yell, to hit him, to run away and never come back. But right now I needed to just grow up and pretend it didn't happen. For the moment anyways. After Russell was dead, then I could give him an earful.

Sighing, I brushed a hand through my hair before leaving the bathroom and making my way down the hallway. I saw the office door was closed and heard someone knocking on it frantically. At hearing voices in the club, I assumed Eric had left and locked Sookie in the room. Frowning, I moved closer to the club door to listen in on what was occurring.

"If you're not going to give him Sookie, at least figure out how to use her. And fast."

"I will not..." Eric began

"We are all going to die Eric. We can't beat him. So do something." Pam snapped angrily. "Use Sookie, give her over to him. I don't care. He wants her, he will get her. You won't let him get his hands on your precious Ellie, so at least use Sookie. Unless that is, you want Sookie too."

"That's enough Pamela." Eric growled

"Just figure out how to use her to our advantage, Eric."

At hearing Pam about to storm away, something snapped within me. I had no idea what I was thinking as I tore the door open, pulling both Pam and Eric's attention towards me.

"No." I shook my head, standing my ground. "You will not use her."

"This conversation doesn't concern you." Eric's eyes narrowed.

"Yes it does." I glared back at him. "She is my best friend. Whether Russell wants or her not, I don't care. He would do anything to get me; I'm rarer that she is. I won't let you use her as bait when you have someone more valuable and easier to use right here."

Pam's mouth dropped open, her eyes softening.

"I appreciate you not wanting to use me as bait." I said that to Pam, actually surprised that she had suggested Sookie instead of me. I suppose she didn't hate me as much as I thought she did. "But Eric, you and I both know he wants me more."

"No." His hands clenched at his sides. "You will do no such thing."

Part of me wanted to agree with him and go back to not being part of whatever plan there was. But if it wasn't me who was used, it would be Sookie. And I couldn't hate her for what had happened with Eric. He was Eric Northman, if he wanted something, he took it with or without someone's consent. I knew Sookie wouldn't just kiss Eric. While I was upset, none of that was directed towards her. She was still my best friend, and I couldn't let her be used like this. This would be suicide, I knew that. But so was going off on my own to kill Jeffrey, and I managed that pretty damn well I would say. Maybe we could pull this off. Maybe we couldn't, but damnit, I had to at least try.

"Either you jump on board with the plan Eric, or it's going to happen without you." I stared him straight in the eye, trying my best to ignore the pain that I felt through my entire body as I remembered the fact that he kissed my best friend. "Because you can tie me down, lock me up, but I will find a way to get out of it. And I will use myself to get Russell. So you might as well help so we can kill this asshole and all get on with our lives."

Eric looked like he wanted to rip my head off. But I didn't care. I was beyond caring now. Everything in my life was falling apart, and to be honest, I really couldn't give a crap what happened anymore. But I would not let the people I cared about suffer. If I had to possibly die just so they could continue living, then I would. That was one characteristic I shared with Kyra.

"Ellie, you will not..."

"I will, Eric." I snapped before twisting around on my heel and stomping into the back without another word.

* * *

**A/N:** it took going home to get inspiration for this story back. I've also written a Christmas special companion piece to this series, featuring Eric and Ellie. Go check it out, it's called A Very Vampire Christmas. it's set a few months after this story would technically end, but I havent put anything it to spoil it. Its just a cute little christmas story as a present from me to you. there's some cute Eric/Ellie moments, so if you have a chance, go ahead and read it. I will not promise that my series will head in that direction, because after all, it's just a little companion story for the holidays. but I'm sure you will all like it. since i'm advertising my own stories lol, I've started a Supernatural story for anyone a fan of that show...dont worry, it wont take away from this one at all. if anything, it's helped drive my inspiration.


	34. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three:**

The moment I heard Sookie's screams as Eric took her down into the basement, I was livid. I stood on the other side of the basement door, waiting for Eric to come walking through it. The moment he did, locking the door behind him, I had to do everything I possibly could not to hit him extremely hard. That would only hurt me in the long run.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I snapped at him. "She is not being used!"

"Neither are you." Eric replied simply, walking passed me.

"I told you I was going to do this with or without your help." I threatened. "You will let her out of the basement right now! I'm going to be the bait to get Russell here if you like it or not."

Eric paused, slowly turning around with his fangs extended. "I will lock you up down there next, Ellie. Do not play games with me right now."

"No one is playing games, Eric!" I threw my arms up in frustration. "I'm tired of running! If I have to be used as bait in order for Russell to be killed, then fuck it, I'll do it! But I will not let you use my best friend. I won't allow it Eric, I won't."

I had barely finished before I felt my entire body being shoved back into the wall, Eric pinning me painfully against the cement blocks.

"Listen you insolent little child," he growled dangerously low, his eyes blazing. "You will do as I say, or I will lock you up or worse. I will not let you throw away your life."

"But you'll throw away Sookie's." I struggled against him, my hands pushing at his chest.

He grabbed my wrists and slammed them against the wall beside my head. I winced but continued to struggle.

"I do not want to hurt you, Ellie. But I will if it means it will keep you safe. Haven't I proven to you that I care about your well being?"

"What, by kissing Sookie?" I shot back.

Eric seemed shocked by my accusation. For a moment I thought maybe he hadn't kissed her and it was all in my head. But as the guilt crept into his eyes, I knew it had just been wishful thinking. I turned my head to the side, tears popping into my eyes.

"You shouldn't be eavesdropping." He slowly let go of my wrists, taking a step back.

"And you shouldn't claim to care about someone after kissing their best friend." I snapped, still unable to look at him. "My plan still stands. I will use myself as bait. I don't care if you try to lock me up, it will happen."

"It won't."

"You don't have a say in the matter. Your life isn't the only one on the line right now. I won't just be killed Eric, I'll be used and tortured for the rest of my life." My eyes finally found his. "I will not sit around and let that happen. Not anymore. I'm not running. Deal with it."

Eric stepped forward, but was immediately pushed back against the wall, pinned there by an imaginary force. I had barely thought about it as I gave him one last glare and stormed down the hallway. I wiped away the small drop of blood dripping from my nose and entered the bar with determination. Godric and Andre now sat at one of the many tables, Pam pacing before them. All eyes fell on me, and by the sadness in Godric's eyes and the way Andre snapped out of his chair, I assumed Pam had told them my plan.

"This is a stupid idea." Andre shook his head. "This is even more stupid then you going off to kill that demon by yourself."

"Andre, please just sit down and shut up." I held up a hand to the vampire to silence him. "You can say whatever you want, but you're not changing my mind."

"This is suicide." Andre sat but didn't look happy at all.

"I'm tired of running. I can't do it anymore. I just want all of this to be over. That's never going to happen if someone doesn't do something. Do any of you have any other ideas? If we trick him using me, then there's actually a chance we can kill him. I'm sorry, but you give me a better idea." I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"She is right." Godric finally spoke, the first time in what felt like forever. "We have limited possibilities."

"So you just want to feed her to the sharks?" Andre looked baffled. "I promised my Queen I would protect you with my life. I cannot let you do this, Ellie."

"Would you like me to knock you out so you wouldn't have a part in it?" I suggested, only have kidding.

"What do you suggest doing to trick him?" Pam questioned once Andre sat back and grew silent.

"We make him believe that he can walk in the sun if he drinks my blood." I hadn't thought much about it, but I did know that would be a luring lie to use.

"Can it?" Pam looked intrigued.

"It cannot." Godric was the one to answer, his eyes meeting mine. "You're blood does not have that ability, Elizabeth."

"No, it doesn't." I nodded in agreement. "But what's the likelihood that Russell knows that? And it's not too farfetched of a lie. I can let vampires walk in the sun; it just has nothing to do with drinking my blood."

"And you think this lie will be enough to trick Russell?" Godric raised an eyebrow, looking doubtful.

"Sophie-Anne didn't know everything to do with phoenixes and I doubt Russell knows more than she does." I shrugged.

"No." A voice growled from behind me.

I should have kept up the invisible barrier to Eric from interrupting our little meeting.

"This isn't your decision." I turned towards him, glaring. "My life, my choice."

I was expecting him to yell, to call my idea stupid. What I wasn't expecting was for him to suddenly attack me, sending both of us to the floor. I winced as my back met with the hard floor, Eric using his body to keep me down.

"You will listen very closely." He hissed, his fangs gleaming down at me. "You will not take a step out of this bar and you will not use yourself as bait."

"You can't stop me."

"I believe I am."

In all the commotion, I hadn't realized that Eric had slipped a handcuff over one of my wrists, clicking it into place. The moment I heard the click, my eyes widened. I didn't even have a chance to yell at him before I was being pulled off of the ground and dragged into the back hallway. I was just about thrown into Eric's office, my body meeting with the desk. I grunted as Eric grabbed my arm roughly and yanked me over to one of the filing cabinets, taking the other part of the handcuff and cuffing it through the metal handle of one of the doors.

"Eric, let me go." I demanded.

"I can't do that, Ellie." He towered over me. "I won't let you get yourself killed."

"Better me than Sookie. I can't die that easily." I tried with all my might to yank off the handcuffs. It seemed impossible though, and only caused the metal to dig into my wrists. "Eric, you can't use Sookie. It's not right!"

"I refuse to let you risk your life. So you will be quiet before I will be forced to make you." He glared down at me with such force that I almost began to cower.

But I quickly bounced back, knowing just how important this was. "No. Eric you can't do this. Please Eric, you can use me."

"No." Eric turned his back on me, grabbing his leather jacket from the back of his chair.

"Don't you dare leave me here, Eric."

"I'm only keeping you safe." He turned back towards me, his hand raising up to caress my cheek. I pulled away from him however, continuing to yank on the handcuffs.

"Fuck you." I spat. "This I will never forgive."

Eric simply stared down at me for a moment before disappearing all together. I growled in annoyance and did what I could to try and get free. But it was absolutely useless. The handcuffs wouldn't budge, and I only managed to hurt myself more.

"Come on, someone, anyone!" I shouted, knowing the other three vampires could hear me even with the office door now closed, and I was sure locked too in case I did manage to get free. "Please, you can't do this!"

No one answered. No one came to free me. I was stuck there, just as Sookie was trapped in the basement, and neither of us had a way to get out of this mess.

* * *

An hour went by and I continued to stubbornly tug and pull on the handcuffs, my throat raw from screaming over and over again for someone to let me out. But as time wore on, I found myself growing less hopeful. I slumped against the filing cabinet, my wrist now bleeding, stinging painfully from the metal handcuffs. My legs were tired from standing, but there were no chair close enough, and I didn't even dare use my telekinesis in case I needed to use my powers once I managed to get out of this predicament. I was determined that I could still find a way, though as the minutes passed, that hope was diminishing. There had to be a way though. I tried pleading with Godric and Andre. Pam came in every once in awhile, and at times I thought I would be able to break her down enough to let me go. But every time she would just shake her head and leave again, locking the door behind her.

"Stupid vampires. The whole lot of them should go to hell." I grumbled, my eyes closing in exhaustion. Sookie's own cries and yells for help had died down a while ago, leaving me eerily alone and slightly afraid. I didn't know what was going on out there, if Eric had gotten Russell or not. He just made me so angry, Eric friggin Northman. He claims he's doing this to keep me safe, but what about kissing Sookie? He only seemed to care whenever it was convenient for him, and I was sick and tired of it. I wanted someone to want me, not someone who died 1400 years ago or some other rare being. Was something horribly wrong with me that I always seemed to come in second? Was I really that awful that no one wanted me?

I felt tears in my eyes at the thought and quickly rubbed them away with my free hand. This wasn't the time for useless emotions and heartbreaks. I needed to find a way out of this and fast before Sookie becomes Russell's next meal.

When I heard a commotion in the bar, I wasn't sure if I was glad to hear it or not. I faintly heard Bill's voice, yelling for Sookie, before Pam came to distract him. For once, I was actually happy to see Bill. If he took her away from here, at least for now, then she would be safe and they would have to resort to my plan. We could deal with the dirt bag another time.

I nearly jumped out of my own skin when the door to the office slammed open. My eyes were wide as I saw Godric there, a sombre look on his face.

"Godric, please, you have to let me go." I pleaded, forgetting for the moment that he had played a part in my broken heart. "Please, you can't let them use Sookie."

The vampires seemed to weigh the options before nodding and walking over to the desk, searching for what I hoped to be the keys to the handcuffs. When he found a larger key in one of the drawers however, my face fell.

"I cannot let you go, Elizabeth. But I will free Miss. Stackhouse." Godric refused to look me in the eye as he walked back to the door.

"Godric..." I stopped him. "Please. Just let me go."

"We will find another way to kill Russell." He shook his head.

"But you agreed with me earlier. This is the only way!"

"No." He stubbornly disagreed. Well I wonder where Eric learned that word from. He turned his head towards me slightly, his blue green orbs finding mine. "Whatever has happened between us, I still care about you greatly and do not wish to see you harmed. We will find another way."

"Godric!" I shouted before he could leave. But it was no use, I hadn't even gotten the word out completely before the office door was closed and locked once again. The only relief I had was knowing that Godric would free Sookie. But then what would happen? This was the only way. We could stop Russell if they used me. I didn't have a problem with it, so why did they?

It wasn't long before I heard Sookie's voice enter the bar. While I didn't like the idea of her being with Bill, who was in fact working for Russell, it was a better option right now. Godric and Pam were yelling at one another, both in English and another language while I vaguely heard Bill and Sookie leave. I was almost hoping that during all the commotion, someone would have set me free as well, but no such luck. Bitterly I tugged once against on the handcuffs, but had to bite down on my lip to keep from crying out in pain. I inspected my wrist and was disgusted to find just how deep the metal cuff had dug into my skin. I shuddered and looked away, nearing defeat.

* * *

It felt like hours had passed as I leaned against the filing cabinet, my eyes squeezed shut and praying that this was all a nightmare. I had given up trying to get out of the handcuffs that bound me, the pain in my wrist raging whenever I did so. Yelling was useless; no one was going to do a damn thing. Sookie was off somewhere with a backstabbing dirt bag, so even though she was safe from Eric's plan, she wasn't even entirely safe at all. Should Russell live, Bill will just hand her over to him anyways.

"We're all screwed." I muttered, shifting my position as my leg began cramping. "Could have at least tied me to a damn chair."

It was then that I heard another commotion out in the bar area. I listened carefully and my eyes grew wide when I heard Sookie's voice once again. But it was Russell's southern twang that sent chills up my spine.

"What is that delicious smell?"

"Just a decaying human snack, my lord. Nothing of importance." Eric answered.

I scoffed but kept as silent as I could, trying to figure out what was happening. Why was Sookie back here, and with Russell of all people? Had she been caught? Was this all Bill's doing? I heard the jingle of chains and an intake of breath, one that sounded remarkably like Bill Compton, and realized he had been captured as well. Then again, I was sure this was all a ploy on his part. No harm would come to Russell's butt monkey.

"She's faerie?" Russell's voice was loud and booming, easily giving me access to their conversation. "A species extinct for a millennium, if they ever existed at all. Do you think I wouldn't notice if there were faeries bouncing around in the world?"

"I didn't say she was full faerie." Eric interjected. "She's a human faerie hybrid. She may very well be the last of her kind. You're only chance to walk in the sun."

Now would have been a great time to start screaming to attract Russell's attention. I was half a second away from doing so when a hand flew across my lips, silencing any noise I was considering making. My eyes widened when I saw that Godric was standing before me once again, his eyes pleading for me to cooperate. I hadn't even heard or seen him enter the office.

"Drink her blood." Eric urged. "You'll see."

"Now that's just nuts. Nothing in my blood is a supernatural sun block." Sookie argued, sounding more surprised at the accusation than anything. "Why would you think that?"

"Sookie you are wrong." Bill's annoying voice rang out, making me absolutely sick. Someone needed to stake him through the heart. I volunteer to do so. "What Eric says is true."

"No!"

"Bill experienced it himself." Eric spoke.

"Oh, well that's reassuring. A testimonial from the mendacious Mr. Compton." Russell sarcastically replied.

"A new beginning?" Sookie sounded upset. I couldn't blame her at all; the man she loved was completely betraying her. She just didn't know the half of it. I suppose I knew how she felt in a way. "We'll start over?"

"I can't force you to believe it. You'll have to see for yourself." Bill explained.

"Why are you doing this to me?" The irrational side of me wanted to somehow get out of this damn handcuff, find some way to rid myself of the vampire silencing me, and run out there to hit Bill extremely hard. Sookie sounded absolutely heartbroken and it nearly broke my almost nonexistent heart. If anyone knew what it felt like, it was most definitely me.

"We tried fighting it, we'll never win." Bill tried to reason with her.

"Bill please!"

"So?" Eric questioned.

"I'm intrigued." Russell answered.

I blocked out the rest of the conversation, not able to take knowing that Russell was going to drink Sookie's blood, possibly drain her, just to walk out in the sunlight. I wasn't even sure if it was possible. What if they killed her all for nothing? I would never forgive myself if Sookie ended up dying out there when it could have been me all along. I wouldn't die, not that easily anyways. It should be me in this position, not her.

My bottom lip began to tremble as tears popped in my eyes. Godric's hand pressed harder against my mouth though his other reached up to caress my cheek in an attempt to calm me down. It wasn't working however. How could I possibly remain calm when my best friend was on her death bed?

* * *

**A/N:** so we are nearing the end. if all goes well, possibly before new years! but dont worry, the next installment in the series will begin shortly afterwards! there's no way I can refrain from writing about the fourth season, the fourth book is just way too good not to be used! btw, I was watching the episode that all of this happened in, and seriously, the Eric/Pam moment was just too cute!


	35. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four:**

It felt like everything was in slow motion as the door to the office opened, this time visible to my eyes. My mouth was still covered by Godric's hand, a tear sliding down my cheek and falling onto his cold hand. I watched out the corner of my eye as Eric stepped into the office, closing the door quickly behind him, locking it for good measure. His eyes fell between Godric and me before remaining on his maker.

"Godric, you must retreat to the basement." Eric spoke in hushed tones.

Godric looked unsure, his eyes never leaving me. Eric spoke again, this time in a language I didn't understand. Godric responded, but still kept his eyes glued to me. I could only stand there silently, not able to make a peep, and part of me didn't even want to. I wasn't sure if I was too furious too, or if the fear that was lining the pit of my stomach was now growing throughout me.

"Please, Godric." Eric switched back to English, his voice soft and pleading.

Godric sighed but nodded, his hand slowly retracting from my mouth. I almost missed his touch the moment it was gone, feeling like I needed his support to keep my emotions bottled up.

"Please do not do anything stupid, Elizabeth." Godric whispered softly, leaning over and laying a kiss on my cheek before he began retreating, making his way towards the door. He grasped the door handle, his gaze turning to his progeny. "Do not get yourself killed, my child."

Eric simply nodded, watching as his maker left the room. He waited a moment before his attention turned onto me, his long strides guiding him towards me. My eyes were wide as I stared up at him, not sure if I wanted to hit him or stubbornly ignore him.

"You're hurt." His eyes travelled down to my bleeding wrist. He lifted a hand, pushing the metal away slightly so he could inspect the wound. "You stupid girl."

"I'm not stupid." I finally spoke, wincing as his fingers slightly danced over the wound.

Eric sniggered, his eyes moving up to meet mine. "You are beyond stupid, Ellie."

"I'm not." My expression hardened. "I'm not weak, I'm not stupid."

"Oh you are, my dear Ellie." His hand was removed from my wrist only to find my cheek, caressing it just as softly as Godric had done only moments before. "And that will be the cause of your death. Don't you understand how special you are? How you need to be protected?"

"I don't need protection." I snapped, my anger pushing pass whatever fear may reside in me. "And I certainly don't need you to protect me. You do a crappy job at it."

Eric grabbed my chin roughly, his fingers digging into my skin almost painfully.

"You are forgetting the countless of times I've saved your pathetic ass." He reminded, his eyes narrowing. "This is for your own good, Ellie."

"Why don't you go protect Sookie, you seem to like her." I shot back.

Eric's hand was now wrapped around my neck, forcefully squeezing to silence me. I felt myself being lifted off my feet, Eric bringing me up to his own height. My free hand was scratching at his, gasping for whatever breath I could find.

"Listen to me very closely, Ellie." He growled. "I am doing all of this, sacrificing everything, for you. Do not assume that I do not care. Everything that has been done, has happened for your benefit. I do not appreciate your tone, and I would suggest you change it quickly."

He suddenly let my neck go, my body crumpling to the ground. Though because of my handcuffed wrist, I was left hanging there, my lungs working twice as hard to gain oxygen.

"I did not come in here to chastise you." He crossed his arms, watching as I struggled to stand.

"Why did you come in here then?" I managed out, my voice hoarse. I lifted my gaze to glare up at him as I leaned against the filing cabinet, gripping it tightly to keep myself upright.

Eric never answered as his eyes roamed over me. I felt naked under his stare, not liking the look he was giving me. It was as if he was trying to memorize everything about me. I pushed against our bond, trying to understand what it was he was feeling, but found that our bond was still cut off.

"I am merely here to..." he trailed off, a sigh emitting from his lips.

"To what?" I pressed.

His hands were on me again in an instant, but this time not in a vicious way. His arm slid around my waist, tugging me against him. I awkwardly leaned against his chest, my one hand pulled to the side, biting down on my bottom lip as the metal dug further into my wrist. Eric's other hand cupped my cheek, tilting my head back slightly. I looked up at him questioningly, but before I could consider his actions, his lips were crashing against mine.

I was shocked, not able to respond as his gripped my hips in need. But as his tongue brushed against my lips, I couldn't help myself from moaning and returning the kiss. It wasn't like the others; it was an act of desperation. There was so much passion from one single kiss that it did not comfort me at all. Eric had never kissed me in this fashion before, not even when we parted ways all those days before. I wouldn't let either of us believe that we wouldn't see one another again. But this...this kiss...he was acting as if it would indeed be our last. It made me want to cry, even as his hand travelled to the back of my neck, his fingers twirling into my hair and pulling me even closer. I couldn't break apart from the vampire, though every logical part of me yelled for me to stop.

My brain seemed to win the war between rationality and my stupid little heart, and my one free hand pushed at his chest with all the might in the world. Eric refused to let me go, continuing to kiss me with need and desire. I whimpered as his tongue requested permission, and I almost allowed the entrance before I was pulled back to reality. I had to bite down softly on Eric's bottom lip to draw his attention, finally causing the vampire to pull away. I was breathing heavily as I stared up at him, sure that my cheeks were probably flushed and bright red.

"Eric..." I started and finished with only his name. I didn't know how to form the question that was the cause of our broken off kiss.

"Don't." His eyes closed, his forehead leaning against mine. "No questions."

"Why are you saying goodbye?" I had asked so softly I wasn't even sure if I had spoken the words at all.

Eric sighed, his eyes slowly opening. He didn't speak, but he didn't need to. Everything that I needed to know was displayed in those blue orbs.

"I must do this." He whispered before lightly kissing my forehead and straightening. "I must do this for all of us."

"What are you going to do?" I asked, panic beginning to rise through me.

He merely shook his head as he caressed my cheek one last time before stepping away. I opened my mouth to question him, but he was gone before I could. I felt another tear slip down my cheek as I just stared at the now closed door, unable to mask the bundle of emotions I was feeling.

"What are you going to do?"I asked softly to absolutely no one.

"He's going to get himself killed." A voice unexpectedly answered.

I blinked and realized the door wasn't closed at all, and that Pam stood in the doorway with her own bloody tears staining her cheeks.

"What?"

"Russell wants him to walk in the sun with him." Pam quickly raised her hands to wipe the bloody tears away, closing the door and began over. "He's sacrificing himself."

My face drained of colour. "Why?"

"Because of you." She snapped emotionally. It was obvious just how much she cared about Eric, how much she loved her maker. I had never seen her without her well built wall barricading any and all emotions. But now it seemed there was no point for such a thing. "He is willing to die for you."

My heart nearly stopped. "No. No he can't do this."

"Sookie's blood won't work. It will last for only seconds." Pam stuck a hand into her shirt between her breasts only to retract a key. A small metal key that would fit perfectly into the handcuff's lock. "But you...you can make it so he won't burn."

"I..." Could I even do that? I had absolutely no idea how I had allowed Godric to fly to the palace in New Orleans in the sunlight. It had just occurred when those vampires had been attacking me. There was no guarantee I could make it happen again. I didn't even know how to. "I don't know if I can."

"You have to at least try." She lifted my wrist, sliding the key into the small lock before releasing me from its confines.

I sighed in relief, nursing my injured wrist close to my chest. "I...I don't know how to Pam."

"Try." She demanded, a ring of red surrounding both of her ice blue eyes. "He cannot...you cannot let him just die."

She was right. I couldn't let him die. He broke my heart, ripped it out painfully and shredded it into a million little pieces before proceeding to stomp on it. My heart would never truly heal, nor would my trust for the vampire. But just like I had declared to Godric only the other day, I would die for them. I would throw myself in front of either Godric or Eric, shielding them from a hundred silver bullets if I needed to. I would give my soul so Eric could continue on. I don't know why, I shouldn't want to sacrifice myself so Eric could live. But the strength and power within me was surging, and something told me I could do this. I wanted to; I needed to. Eric didn't deserve this; he didn't deserve to have the ability to live while I could die. He didn't deserve me damnit. But I couldn't stop myself as I nodded to Pam, determined to at least try.

"I'll do it. I can't promise anything but..."

"Just try." She stared down at me for the longest time before nudging me to the door. "Quickly."

I didn't think twice as I shot out of the room, my hand grasping the door to the bar. When I heard Sookie's scream, I urgently ripped the door open.

"Stop!"

Everyone froze. Bill, who had been pulling against the silver chains, halted his actions and stared at me with wide eyes. Eric's eyes moved from Sookie's to mine, horror crossing the once saddened orbs. Russell was the last to react, his fangs lodged into Sookie's wrist for the longest time before pulling away. I gulped but stood my ground, watching as Russell stood from his seat, turning to look at me with contempt.

"I believe I'm the one you really want." I spoke, trying to calm my wavering voice.

"And who exactly are you?" He licked his lips, smiling slightly at the taste of Sookie's blood.

"She's no one." Eric growled, his eyes boring into me, pleading me to not say a word.

I shot him a look, shaking my head slightly, before meeting Russell's curious eyes.

"I'm the phoenix."

"Ellie." Eric looked ready to attack.

"The phoenix?" Russell raised an eyebrow, ignoring Eric's comments and stepped forward. His eyes roamed over me in a much different way that Eric's had minutes before. "So you're the one who killed my other child. I should kill you right now."

"But you won't." I spoke confidently. "Because you want me; you want my power."

His eyes narrowed. "Your race has been extinct for..."

"For 1400 years. I know just how special I am." I stepped forward, my arms crossing over my chest. "You know just how special I am. Which is why you want me. It's why Jeffrey wanted me."

Russell tilted his head to the side and I could tell that he was intrigued.

"He was a careless newborn." He spoke of Jeffrey, rolling his eyes. "I never should have turned a half breed."

I saw his eyes flicker to the bar counter, and I almost wanted to vomit when I saw the jaw filled with what appeared to be vampire guts. I had a feeling that was the vampire Eric had killed, Russell's lover and other child. It took everything in my power to turn my gaze away from the disgusting sight and back onto the king of Mississippi; the insane king.

"I will willingly give myself to you." I declared, causing his eyes to snap back onto me and away from his deceased lover.

"And why would you do that?" he asked suspiciously.

"I have terms of course." My eyes travelled over to Sookie, who was cowering on the table, too scared to move a muscle.

"And what exactly are those terms?" he clasped his hands in front of himself, his tone mocking me.

"You will leave Sookie alone after today. You will not send anyone," my eyes fell onto Bill, glaring at the vampire. "After her because of what she is. You will leave her alone."

"Why would I let something so unique go?"

"Because I'm more unique. I'm rarer. I'm far more powerful." I reminded, taking a step forward. I could feel Eric's eyes on me, never straying. At that moment, I could feel a rush of emotions hit me and I knew he had opened our bond. I felt the anger, the pleading, the sadness creeping from the vampire, and it was almost enough to stop me from my plan. I shook my head however, inhaling sharply, before continuing. "And I will give myself, every ounce of power, to you willingly. You will have me for however many centuries it is I will live. And then you will own the next phoenix. And the next. And the next. You will forever have the strongest being in the world, under your control. You will be unstoppable."

He looked extremely interested now.

"I have another term." I spoke before he could.

"And what is that?" he questioned.

"Eric Northman is to live." I had to grit my teeth at the influx of emotions from the vampire. "As will anyone else I care about."

Russell snorted. "You care for this vampire?"

I couldn't stop myself from glancing at Eric, my brave facade nearly crumbling. "Yes."

Russell didn't say a word for the longest time, as if he was considering the possibilities. I just stood there, exchanging silent words with Eric. It felt like forever until I was jostled out of my trance by Russell's voice.

"I find that acceptable."

I almost sighed in relief, but stopped myself. I wasn't done yet.

"One last request."

"Do not push your luck, Phoenix." Russell warned.

I held my hands up in defence. "I was merely going to say that you should be the only one to taste Sookie's blood."

Russell narrowed his eyes. "And why would that be?"

"Because if you and Eric both drink from her, than that will be less blood for you." I replied innocently. "Eric can drink from me."

"Why would he do so?"

"Because I can make him walk in the sun as well." I stared Russell dead in the eyes. I wasn't lying; I was merely leaving out a few tidbits of information.

"Can you now?" Russell looked even more intrigued. I knew I had him. How could he not accept my deal, my terms? The most powerful being was offering herself to him, he couldn't deny that opportunity.

"Mr. Northman." Russell nodded his head in my direction.

I almost wanted to smile, pleased that I had been able to trick the vampire. I watched as he took his seat at the table once again, his hand grasping Sookie's wrist before sinking his fangs into her pulsing vein. I couldn't watch as Sookie screamed in pain, and instead turned my gaze to Eric. He shook his head, not moving a muscle.

"Eric." I pleaded softly, hoping that Russell wouldn't hear me.

I sent every pleading and begging emotion that I could through our bond. But once again, Eric had closed off our bond, his own emotions ceasing. I hadn't expected what would happen if Eric refused to drink my blood, but I knew it wouldn't go well. I was just about to storm over there and force him to do so when I felt a presence close to me. I looked to my side and saw that Eric now stood at my side, mixed emotions in his eyes.

"Do it." I pleaded, turning my body towards him. "Just do it."

"No." He shook his head. "I will not."

"I will not let you die." I growled, pulling my hair off of my shoulder and tilting my head to the side. "I won't let you."

My hands raised up his chest before stopping just over his heart. I closed my eyes, concentrating as I waited for him to make the next move. I had no idea how I was going to do this, how I was going to give Eric the ability to walk out into the sun without burning to a crisp. But I needed to do everything in my power to at least try. I had to. I nearly jumped when I felt Eric's cold hand on my cheek, slowly travelling down to the curve of my neck. I held in a breath as he lowered himself down, his lips faintly following the trail his fingers had made. I squeezed my eyes shut, my hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. I thought solely on the vampire in front of me as I felt his fangs sink into my neck. I thought of the love that I felt towards him. I refused to remember the pain, the heart ache. I could only remember the good, the reason he deserved to live. I tried to channel my energy, my power. I tried to remember what I had been feeling when I had caused my powers to work the last time. I did everything within my power to try and surge my extraordinary power and strength into the Viking, to keep him safe.

I could feel my once racing heart begin to slow, my body becoming weak as Eric continued to drink my blood. I couldn't hear a thing as I leaned against his body, not able to keep myself up any longer. An arm slipped around me, keeping me against him. I let out the tiniest whimper, the pain starting to flow through me as my concentration was broken. Eric broke away from me then, his arm dropping from my waist. My eyes refused to open as I felt myself fall onto the hard floor, my hands bracing the fall.

"I'm sorry." I barely heard Eric whisper.

Everything felt like it was spinning. My body swayed from side to side as I tried to hold myself up on my hands and knees. But it was no use. I crashed onto my side, my consciousness quickly slipping away.

* * *

**A/N:** Ellie has definitely grown since I first created the character. she used to be a scared little girl, and she's grown into someone who I personally wouldn't want to upset. She knows what she wants, and she's now determined to do whatever it takes to get it done. of course she still has a lot more growing to do, but she's on the right track! so I realistically see maybe 2 more chapters in this story. possibly 3. i promise there won't be too big of a break between the end of this story and the start of the next. that would just be cruel. especially with how I plan on ending this story!


	36. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five:**

I was floating around on a cloud surrounded by nothingness. Everything felt peaceful as I just floated. There was no pain. There were no thoughts. I was just there, in absolute bliss. I had never experienced anything like it, and I almost never wanted to leave. Why go back to the pain, to the battle for my own life, when I could just stay here and be happy? I wasn't sure where I was, I couldn't see a single thing but blackness. But the bliss I felt, it was luring and desirable. If this was at all what heaven felt like, then maybe I should just let myself find the bright light that will take me to an entire lifetime of happiness. I could see my family again, everyone I had loved and lost. It would be worth it.

"_You must go back"_

The voice sounded so familiar and yet foreign at the same time. I didn't want to listen to the pleading, to the urgency. Why should I go back there when I could enjoy this peace?

"_Ellie you must go back."_

I wanted to shout at whoever it was to leave me alone, but I found that I couldn't speak.

"_Open your eyes Ellie."_

What? My eyes were open. I didn't want to...

And then my eyes flashed open, truly opened. I gasped out in pain, shooting up into a sitting position. The peace that I had once felt, the blissfulness, it disappeared as if it had never been there, and I was thrown back into this miserable life. I wanted to cry, to close my eyes and go back there. I was tired of all of this.

"Elizabeth?" a hand caressed my cheek.

My eyes moved to the owner of the voice and I was met with blue green orbs. Godric looked down at me in worry, his eyes flashing between mine and my sore neck. I raised a hand to find that it was no longer bloodied, the fang marks closed. But the pain was still there. I winched and pulled my hand away, turning my head around the bar as I began to remember what had happened.

"Where is he? What happened?" I asked, pushing away Godric's hand and attempting to stand up.

"He's outside." Pam spoke from where she sat at the bar. I eyed her and my heart dropped when I saw the bloodied tears. "Burning."

"What?" I shook my head, not believing her. I forced myself up onto my feet, Godric's arms around me as he kept me steady. "No. No it was supposed to work."

"It didn't." Pam's voice was strained.

"He bound himself to Russell, Ellie." Sookie's voice pulled my attention over to the blonde. She sat in a chair, Bill hovering over her though she refused to acknowledge him. "Ellie...you shouldn't have...I don't deserve it after what..."

"Don't Sookie; I don't care about any of that." I shook my head, my eyes roaming over the bar until I found the security camera monitor behind the bar. With Godric's help I found a way over, leaning heavily on the vampire for support. When I saw Eric and Russell lying on the concrete I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "No. It...it was supposed to work. He was supposed to be okay."

"Whatever it is that you did, it prolonged the burning." There was sadness in Godric's voice. "But he is still burning."

"It's the same with my blood." Sookie stood and walked over, laying a hand on my shoulder. "They're both..."

"No, I can't let this happen." I shook Sookie's hand off of me and tried to push Godric away. "I need to..."

"You need to what, Elizabeth?" Godric firmly kept his arms around me. "You can barely walk, you're too weak. I could only heal you a fraction. You need more blood."

"I can't let him die, Godric." I stared into his eyes, pleading with him. "Please. He's your child, Godric. You have to let me go."

"You are too weak." He shook his head.

"I'm not. I need to save him. I can't let him die." The tears continued to flow. "Please Godric, let me save him."

There was an inner battle raging war inside the 2000 year old vampire, one that neither side seemed to be winning.

"Let her do it." Pam spoke. "Let her do it, Godric. Let Eric live."

Godric looked like he was going to refuse, but after a glance at Pam, seeing the pain on her face, he finally sighed and nodded. His arms dropped to his sides, knowing that he wouldn't be able to help me over to the door. I tried to give him an assuring smile, but I couldn't even assure myself. I had no idea what would happen the moment I stepped out of this bar. I didn't have the strength to pull him back into the bar. I couldn't even think about using my telekinesis, I wouldn't be able to move him more than a foot. All I could hope for was my powers to finally just work, just for once.

"Be careful." I heard Godric's pleading voice as I slowly began towards the door.

My feet were barely cooperating, but my sheer determination was keeping me going. I felt like falling over, but I couldn't. I needed to do this at all costs. I couldn't let Eric die, not without at least getting a good yell in about him kissing Sookie. The anger mixed with sadness and fuelled my strength. How I was even standing on two feet was beyond me, but I somehow made it to the heavy bar door. I glanced back, making sure all the vampires were far enough away that they wouldn't feel the rays of the sun, before yanking the door open. I huffed and puffed, just pulling the door open itself taking a lot of energy. But that wasn't about to stop me.

I leaned against the door for a brief moment before my ears heard the most awful sound. Eric's screams in agony, mixing with the sound of sizzling skin made me absolutely sick to my stomach. It was revolting. I had never heard someone in so much pain before in my life and it brought even more tears to my eyes.

"Eric..." I breathed out softly as I pushed myself off of the door and began outside.

I made sure to close the door behind me tightly, not wanting the others to feel the wrath of the sun. I found my legs working faster than I thought was possible, hurrying over to the pained vampire. I fell onto my knees beside his form, the smoke rising off of his body, his skin charred and turning into ash more quickly than I would have liked. His eyes were closed as I pushed on his chest, trying to rouse him away.

"Eric, please Eric." I whispered urgently, my eyes falling onto the disgusting vampire king. He laughed loudly, as if he was enjoying this. I glared at him, the anger bubbling deep within me. I saw the handcuffs that were holding the two together and I tugged at the metal, wishing it would just crumble between my fingers. "Where is the damn key, Eric?"

Eric's face contorted in pain as he let out a loud moan. I whimpered at hearing the noise, wishing for his pain to just stop.

"Key, Eric. I need the key." I continued to shake him, trying to get his attention.

"Pocket." He managed out before screaming in agony.

My bottom lip trembled as my hands searched for every possible pocket. I checked the leather jacket pockets but found nothing. I tried the nearest pants pocket, but still there was nothing. I hoped I wouldn't need to somehow roll him over to get to his back pockets, and stuffed my hand into the other front pocket. I let out a sigh of relief when my fingers curled around the key. I yanked it out and, while fumbling with the small item, attempted to unlock Eric from the handcuffs. I wasn't sure if Russell would be strong enough to do anything, but that thought barely crossed my mind as I freed Eric and began worrying about what to do next.

"Oh Eric." I cried out, my tears slipping down my cheeks and meeting his charred shirt. The blood was seeping through his clothes, burning the fabric before turning to ash.

I didn't know what to do as I just sat there. My hands travelled up to his head and cradled it in my lap, holding it closely. My eyes closed tightly as we just sat there, Eric in the worst pain imaginable and I couldn't think of a single way to make it stop. What was the purpose of these powers if not to be used to save those who I cared about? Eric was slowly dying in a horrible way and I couldn't do a damn thing. I had to sit here as he's put through this torture with no possible way to stop it, to shield him from the pain. I didn't want to be a phoenix if it meant that I would have to watch the only man I ever truly loved die in my arms. I just couldn't do it.

And then that's when it happened. There was a coolness that wrapped around my body, opposite to the warmth I was used to. It began in my chest, in my swelling heart. It surged through my veins, through my entire body. I opened my eyes, amazed to find a light blue light emitting from my hands, enveloping Eric's body. My mouth dropped open and I could only watch as soon both Eric and I were safely wrapped by the light, protecting us from all that was around us.

"Fucking amazing!" Russell choked out.

"Oh shut the fuck up." I muttered, my eyes focusing on Eric's as those beautiful blue eyes slowly opened.

He was still bleeding, parts of his skin burned off. But there was no longer any smoke rising from his body, no more screams in pain. I felt relieved, but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this up forever. I needed to get Eric inside somehow and quickly before my powers diminished. But how? I still felt weak; I was living off of pure adrenaline and will power. There was no way I could possibly pull him over to the door and call for help. The only way to get Eric into the bar was to give him blood, for him to heal enough to walk.

"Eric, you need my blood." I whispered to him, running a hand though his blood stained hair soothingly. "I need your help Eric. I can't keep this up. I...I'm not strong enough."

Eric's eyes met mine, and I could see the struggle he was having as I placed my wrist near his mouth. I waited and waited, but nothing happened. He couldn't extend his fangs. He was too weak to even do so.

"Damnit." My eyes looked around for something to cut myself with.

My eyes fell on the metal handcuff and I quickly reached over, though Russell attempted to pull his arm away. I glared darkly at him as I grasped onto one end, pulling the sharp edge across my wrist as hard as I could. It took a few ties, but soon the blood was pulsing out of my vein. I didn't waist a drop and placed it over Eric's opened mouth, the blood pouring down his throat. He moaned as he attempted to swallow the blood. After a few moments, and to my relief as I began to feel the power within me shake, his hand reached up to grasp my wrist and attacked the vein with his now extended fangs. My eyes closed as he drank from me. I could already feel my consciousness slipping from me, but I fought against it. Eric needed me right now, I couldn't let him down. If I fell unconscious, the calming blue light would vanish and Eric would burn once again. I forced my eyes back open and was happy to see that he was slowly healing, now sitting up beside me and hungrily drinking from me.

"Eric..." I cried out softly. "That's...that's enough."

Eric hesitated, his lips sucking at my blood. But as I began tugging away from him, his senses returned and he pulled himself away.

"I-I need your help to get you back inside." I struggled to stay upright.

Eric nodded and together, we slowly pulled ourselves up onto our feet. We both staggered both almost falling. Neither of us were stable enough on our feet, but the blue light was beginning to fade quickly. I let out an urgent squeak and we quickened the deadly slow pace we were taking. I wasn't sure how we managed to get into the club. I wasn't even sure how the door had opened for us, but as if by the act of god, we both crashed into the bar, falling to the floor instantly. The light evaporated from around us, every ounce of my energy following it.

"He needs blood." Pam was beside Eric in a flash, just as quickly as Godric was next to me. "Human blood."

"I'll give him some." Sookie offered.

"No." I shook my head. "Mine."

"Don't be an idiot, you're barely conscious." Godric ripped open his wrist and held it to my mouth.

I pushed it away however and edged closer to Eric. Between the two of us, and even though he had been burning to death, Eric looked far better than I did.

"No." Eric growled, his hand shaking as it came to cup my cheek.

I wanted to argue, but no words came out. I was only conscious for a moment longer, just long enough to hear Russell's screams from outside and to watch his entire body catch fire on the monitor behind the bar, turning into ash and blowing away.

* * *

I groaned as my eyes slowly began to open, expecting to feel excruciating pain. But I found no pain. I blinked away the blurriness, only to find the sun glaring down at me. Had I failed? Had I just imagined saving Eric? Had it just been a dream, had he really died? But as my senses returned to me, I found my hands surrounded by grass, as was my entire body.

"What the..." I trailed off as I slowly rose up into a sitting position, my eyes wide when I saw I was back in the Phoenix utopia. I looked around in confusion, squinting as the sun stung my eyes. "Am I dead?"

"No, you're still very much alive." The familiar voice rang from behind me.

I looked over my shoulder and found Kyra standing there, in the midst of wild flowers, smiling down at me. She held out a hand and I slowly took it, rising up to my feet. I stumbled for a moment before finding my balance and looked at her in wonder.

"Why am I back here?" I questioned.

"I wanted to say goodbye." She explained.

"Goodbye?" panic shot through me. Why was she saying goodbye? Was something wrong?

"Nothing is wrong." She seemed to sense my fear. "You have fully transitioned, Ellie. You are the Phoenix."

"Transitioned?" I felt my head began to pound at the statement, not understanding. "What do you mean now I'm the Phoenix?"

"Sit." She laid her hands on my shoulders, pushing me down onto a seat that had just appeared behind me. "I'll explain everything, just rest. Your body needs it."

I nodded silently, running a hand through my hair as I gazed around. Finally, my eyes fell on the girl beside me. It still amazed me how much we looked like one another. But the longer I got to know her, to see her in the flesh, I was able to pick out the differences between us.

"We are all born human." Kyra began. "We don't truly become the phoenix until we have matured, aged to the point that we are powerful enough to contain such a sacred gift."

"T-that's why I never knew of what I was for so long." I guessed.

"Exactly. I didn't know of my destiny until after Godric had saved me." she admitted. "I had always been told stories by the village that had raised me before we were enslaved. Part of me knew what to expect."

"How old were you?" I asked curiously.

"Only a year or two older than Godric would have been." she looked off into the distance. "Not even 20 years of age. That was the moment in time I stopped aging. The moment we become a phoenix, our aging stops, giving us the ability to live for centuries until the trait is passed down in whatever way."

I nodded, slowly beginning to understand.

"You telekinesis was the first power to appear to you, wasn't it?"

"Godric knew about it before even I did." I remembered.

"We all have our own unique power, one that we are born with. I was given the gift of seeing the future, while others can heal or read minds. Yours was telekinetic powers."

"I was wondering about that." I mumbled to myself.

"Do you remember being sick?" she asked suddenly. "Remember a time when..."

"When my body felt like it was on fire." My eyes widened. "No matter what anyone did, it felt like I was on fire."

Kyra nodded. "The same happened to me, as did it happen to all the others. We are children of the sun, our main gift is fire. The Phoenixes, before the trait was given to humans, regenerated after their ashes were engulfed in flames. The same happens to us, just in a less morbid sense. Our body is put through a process, our blood burned of the past in order for us to be regenerated. It is painful, I agree. I still remember the feeling to this day."

"It was horrible." I shuddered.

"After you were sick, your powers began to peak. You could do things you couldn't explain, I'm sure your emotions were probably on a rollercoaster."

I nodded, feeling completely numb. All of that was true.

"It wasn't until you were faced with life and death that you completed the transition." Kyra smiled as she took my hands in hers, squeezing softly. "You are the phoenix now. Your powers, they're complete. There are no more struggles. There is no more confusion. You just are. Do you feel the difference? Do you feel the power?"

I thought about it, thought about everything that I felt, to the blood pumping through my veins. And she was right. I did feel different. It felt like every one of my senses was heightened, as if I felt invincible. There was such a force surging through my veins, rushing through me that I was surprised I was still alive. It felt like it was going to burst out of me, an odd light just barely shining over my shaking body. What surprised me the most though, was how strong I felt. I had wanted for so long to feel strong, to not feel like a weak little girl. And I had gotten my wish. I felt like I could do anything, like there was nothing stopping me. I loved it. I loved everything about it.

"I have to say goodbye now, Ellie."

"But why?" I turned back to her.

"We're here to guide you, to help you understand. But you know everything know. You are the phoenix. You no longer need me." She smiled sadly.

"But that's not true, I do need you." I shook my head wildly. "Please, I..."

"You are strong, Ellie. Do not forget that." She wiped away a stray tear slipping down my cheek. "Never forget just how powerful you are."

"But..."

"I don't have much time." Kyra silenced me. "I...I was hoping you would do something for me."

I sighed but nodded. "It's the least I can do."

"Just...tell Godric that I love him." I could see the tears pop into her eyes. "Tell him that I will forever love him. But also tell him...tell him that he needs to move on. That none of this was his fault. Just make sure he knows that."

"I will." I assured her, hugging her tightly. "He probably won't listen, but I'll remind him every day."

"Thank you." Kyra attempted a smile as we pulled apart. "It was an honour knowing you, Ellie. I have been waiting 1400 years to finally meet you."

"I'm going to miss you. Miss this." I looked around sadly.

"One day you will be back. But I hope it will not be for a very long time. Now go home, Ellie. Live your life not in fear. You have earned that." Kyra pulled me to my feet, smiling at me with my own identical smile. "And don't fear loving Eric. It's only natural to love someone. But know that you do not deserve to be hurt. You deserve to be cherished."

I nodded, wanting to say so much more. But I never had a chance before a bright light suddenly appeared

"Goodbye Ellie!"

I had to shut my eyes in order to shield them from the blinding light bursting out of thin air and enveloping me completely.

* * *

**A/N:** Russell is dead! there was no way I was going to let him live. had to not follow the show with that one. I quite enjoyed killing him off lol. and Kyra is leaving the story, everything is explained now. but there's still some issues lingering. like Eric Northman. What will Ellie do about Eric? She loves him, but is love simply enough? we'll have to see...and quite possibly the story could end tonight because i can't stop myself from writing lol. I'll try to prolong it until tomorrow though haha


	37. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six:**

It felt like I was falling. Just falling and falling. For a moment, I felt like Alice in Wonderland, falling through the rabbit hole. I was expecting a hard landing. Heck, a landing at all. But there was just falling. I tried to peer around me, but there was absolutely nothing. It wasn't like the last time though, I didn't feel peace or pure bliss. Instead, I had a knot in my stomach, knowing what I would wake up too. There was a sadness knowing that I wouldn't return to the phoenix utopia, would never see Kyra again for guidance. The few short trips had been heaven blessed. I never would have understood anything about this new life I was forced to live if it hadn't been for her. But it was time to take off the training wheels and just take off on my own. I was worried, however, about what would happen if I fell off that bike. Would there be anyone there to encourage me to get back up, to continue going. I wasn't so sure.

When I finally stopped falling, I felt a soft bed beneath me. I let out a small moan, relishing in the comfortable bed for the first time in days. The noise must have alerted another presence in the room as I heard footsteps nearing. It took a moment to force my eyes open, but once I had, there were two blue orbs staring down at me, pale lips a bit too close to mine. I gulped when our eyes met before slowly inching to the side and pushed myself up into a sitting position. Eric stood beside the bed, watching my every movement as I glanced around, running a hand through my tangled hair. I was in Eric's resting place, a fact I should have known from the bed alone. I don't think there was another bed in the world that felt as comfortable and safe as Eric's did.

"Ellie..." Eric mumbled, his hand reaching out, twirling his fingers around my hair.

I turned my gaze back up to him and I did the one thing that shocked both of us. Eric's head snapped to the side as I slapped him as hard as I could, a glare settling on my face.

"You fucking idiot!" I screeched, throwing the bed sheets off of me and jumping off the bed. I realized I was only wearing a long shirt, but that didn't seem to matter at all. "Why the hell would you do that!"

Eric's head was still to the side, and I was surprised to find a light handprint on his cheek. In fact, his skin was slightly sizzling right where I had slapped him. My eyes grew wide for a moment as I stared down at my right hand. It looked perfectly normal, like it always did. As I looked back up at Eric, he was lightly rubbing his cheek before looking at me, a mixture of anger and surprise in his eyes. I suppose Kyra was right, there was no thinking about it anymore. My powers were just there.

Maybe being a Phoenix wouldn't be too horrible after all.

"You almost got yourself killed." I placed my hands on my hips. "If it hadn't been for me, you would have fried up like a god damn French fry!"

Eric raised an eyebrow, but before he could utter a word, I continued on my rant.

"Don't even get me started on locking me up, that's a whole new level of asshole for you! Why can't you just accept help? That's all I wanted to do! And if it hadn't of been for me, you would have shrivelled up and died before I could have done a damn thing!"

There was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. That just infuriated me even more.

"The whole reason any of this even had to happen was the stupidest shit I've ever heard. You wanted revenge? Seriously, what are you, five? This isn't kindergarten. You can't knock over someone's milk because they did it to you. God!" I threw my arms up in the air. "We all would have been nice and happy if you hadn't gone and killed Russell's friggin lover. We would have gotten the magister off our back either way, so did you really have to add to the list of crap we had going on? You're supposed to be over a thousand years old and yet you still act like an immature little kid! When will you grow up?"

I paused for a moment to catch a breath, my face bright red. My hands were shaking with the amount of anger that was surging through me, and if I hadn't of been gripping my hips tightly, I was sure something would have been thrown across the room. In fact, out the corner of my eye, I could start seeing smaller objects begin to shake throughout the room. I remember the last time I had gotten angry while practicing my powers. The entire room looked like a bomb had gone off. I hope that would wipe that stupid smirk off of Eric's face.

"Are you through?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Not even close." I hissed. "You have worse mood swings than women. Then a friggin pregnant woman! One minute you're this horrible monster, and the next you act like you care! I can't keep up anymore! It's like running a damn marathon whenever I'm around you. I'm tired of it. I'm exhausted. Oh and there's your god damn feelings!"

"My feelings?"

"Yes, you're stupid ass feelings!" that was when the anger really began bubbling. Eric tensed as he began to see objects move out of their original place. "You...You two timing asshole went and fucking kissed my BEST FRIEND!"

Eric's expression hardened. "I will not talk about this."

"Hell no! We are going to fucking talk about this!" I clenched my fists, the objects closest to me exploding suddenly. I barely realized this fact, not flinching at all as pieces of the objects went flying everywhere. "I had to sit around watching as you bang your stupid fangbangers and stripper sluts. I couldn't do a thing about that as you fucked them at the bar and then you brought them over here of all places. We had sex in Dallas Eric, and you didn't even seem to care. I was probably just a good fuck for you, but you were my first! That meant something to me and you just tossed me aside until you were bored or jealous."

Eric's fangs popped out and he took a step forward. I held out a hand however, and he was frozen to the spot. I had to control myself so I wouldn't smirk at the baffled vampire. He was going to get a reality check. I wasn't some weakling anymore. I was strong. I was powerful. He was just getting a taste of what I could do. I could feel it flowing through my veins, and I loved every minute of it.

"But you know, I was fine with it. It hurt, yes, but they were just nameless bimbos. They didn't mean anything, and I certainly didn't care about any of them. But then...but then..." I swallowed back the lump that had begun to rise as I remembered standing outside of his office door as he kissed Sookie. "But then you went and kissed Sookie. My best friend of all people. You gave her blood. Why...why would you do that? I know I mean nothing to you, but did you have to do that with my best friend? She wasn't just another fangbanger, that was someone of meaning. And you didn't even care how it would have made me feel."

I felt the sadness sweep through me and it took everything in my power to overpower it with anger. It would hurt too much to think of the pain. I needed to be angry, to be livid.

"And you have the gull to say minutes later that you care about me, that you want to keep me safe. I...I just don't get it, Eric. None of it makes sense. For a moment, I actually thought you cared. When we were talking in your office, before Nan came with the ruling from the authority, I actually thought for a minute that there was something there." Eric moved his gaze, looking at anything but me. "You risked everything for me, that's what you keep saying, but why don't I believe that?"

I had to stop, to let my emotions be worked through. I watched Eric closely, watched as he clenched and unclenched his fists, his eyes closing for a moment, his fangs retracting. Finally, after what felt like ever, his eyes met mine and I was almost knocked over by how profound the emotions were in his blue orbs.

"You were with him." He grunted.

"I was with who?" I asked in confusion before realization sunk in. "Godric."

"You were _with_ him."

"Correction, we made out. He called out Kyra's name before anything could happen." I reminded him.

"You still kissed. You would have..."

"And that was a mistake." The words blurted out before I could even think it through. But as I stood there, looking at Eric, I realized that it was true. It had been a mistake. Whatever I felt towards Godric, it was nothing compared to the love I had for Eric. "I think I was just...trying to make up for what you and I didn't have. You were always so rough and cold hearted. Godric always made me feel loved and wanted. I just want to be wanted. I want to know that I'm loved by someone. He was there; it was the easiest way for both of us to get out our anger and pain. I realize that it was a mistake, and I'm sorry it happened. I'm sorry that I let it happen because I only ended up getting hurt."

The floating objects in the room slowly began to return to their former places as my mood changed drastically. I couldn't keep up my angry facade, not when my heart hurt so much. I felt tired of this fighting, of wondering if Eric was ever going to be serious towards me. If there was any hope that he would ever going to care about me. I sighed as I sat on the bed, my back to Eric. It felt like there were weights on my chest, pressing against me with such force that it was hard to breathe. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to regain my composure and thoughts. They didn't open until I felt a cool hand on my cheek, brushing away the tear I never knew had fallen. I stared up at Eric, who now stood before me. I couldn't read his expression, and I wished that he would open our bond so I could feel him, know what he was going through.

"She means nothing to me." Eric finally spoke, cupping my cheek in his large hand.

"You gave her blood. You kissed her." I reminded him. "I saw the way you were looking at her before you were going to bite her when I stopped it. You...you never looked at me that way."

Eric tilted his head to the side. "I merely tricked her into drinking my blood in Dallas to infuriate Compton further. I had my suspicions that Compton was up to something, even then, and I thought that forming a bond with Sookie would help to keep a track on his doings."

"You don't form a bond with someone to do that." I pushed his hand away and stood again. I went to brush past him but he grabbed my elbow and stopped me. "You don't kiss them and tell them it would be your biggest regret if you died without kissing them."

"There are many things in my life that I regret."

"But that isn't one of them." I shook my head, looking up at him. "I remember when I first met Sookie; I remember the way you would look at her. That was long before anything ever happened between us. You wanted her even then."

Eric fell silent and I knew my suspicions had been correct.

"And that's fine. But then Dallas happened. I know you were...vulnerable with the whole Godric thing. But...but I'm still human Eric. You know I wasn't just some whore that slept with anyone who was willing. My first sexual experiences were with you, and that meant something to me. I felt safe with you. I felt like...I felt like I could trust you. And when you called me yours, I was happy. I was excited knowing that you wanted me. But the moment we got back here, it was like Dallas didn't happen."

I had to look away as another tear slipped down my cheek. Eric wiped it away before I had a chance to however.

"I understand you're a vampire, and you have needs and you don't exactly care about one stupid girl. But my best friend? My own best friend, Eric. You could have kissed anyone else and I wouldn't have been upset. But she was my best friend." I bit down hard on my bottom lip. "That hurt more than hearing Godric call me Kyra. That hurt me more than knowing that Godric would never get over her, even after 1400 years. Knowing that you want Sookie, and not want me, that's worst than any pain or torture that Jeffrey or Russell could have done to me."

I gently tugged my arm out of his grasp and wrapped my arms around myself.

"I never meant to hurt you." Eric's voice was soft.

"That's the thing, Eric. You never _mean_ to hurt me. Yet you always do, every time." I pulled away as he tried to reach out to me. "It's never intentional, or maybe sometimes it is. But it always happens. Whether it be emotionally or physically, you always hurt me, rip me apart bit by bit."

I turned, knowing I would break down if I stared at him any longer.

"Did you know that the only reason Kyra had died was because she sacrificed herself for Godric?" my voice was barely above a whisper, my eyes closing to try and cease the tears that were threatening to spill. "She couldn't live without him so she gave her life so he could live. She offered her soul, but he couldn't take it and she died. She died for him."

"I didn't know that." Eric mumbled.

"It scares me." The lump began rising in my throat. "It scares me to think that I would do that, that I would do exactly that to save you."

I felt Eric's hand on my shoulders, lightly massaging away the tension. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't. His touch still kept me safe, comforted me even now.

"I would give my life in order to save yours. It's everything I've been doing for the past few days."

"Why?" he questioned, genuinely sounding confused.

"Because I love you, you idiot." I turned back around, staring up at him through teary eyes. "It hurts to even think what it would be like without you, if you had died. It was so horrible to see you burning, Eric. I...I couldn't handle it. It felt like someone was ripping my organs out one by one. I couldn't stand, I was barely conscious, but it didn't matter to me. All that mattered was to save you. If I died, I didn't care. It was you I cared about."

"I don't deserve it." he sighed, bowing his head.

"No, you don't. That's just it. You don't deserve any of it. You don't deserve my love. You don't deserve my soul. You don't deserve the thousands of tears I've cried over you. But I'm stupid and just can't stop loving you. Because when you love someone you love all of them, faults included. And you have a lot of faults." I lifted my hands to rub at my eyes. "But once you love someone, you can't just turn it off. You can't just flick a switch because it gets hard. Even though I've so wanted to stop loving you, to let someone else in, I just can't."

Eric looked away, and I could tell he was uncomfortable. I'm sure it wasn't exactly everyday that someone told this Viking that they loved him. I wondered if he had ever heard those three little words from someone other than Godric and Pam, his family. I was sure he didn't even understand what the phrase meant.

"I'm scared that all I'm going to do is continue to try and sacrifice myself to keep you alive. Because you dying...I wouldn't be able to handle it. I...I just wouldn't be able too." I shook my head. "You're an asshole, your abusive, you don't even give a crap, but you're still you. You're still..." I trailed off.

"I would never ask you to do that for me." he spoke.

"That's the thing about loving someone, Eric. I would die for you without you even needing to ask. I would do it even if you didn't want me to. That scares the living shit out of me. I'm twenty two. Sure I'm going to live for a long time, but I'm twenty two. Life isn't supposed to be this hard. Love isn't supposed to be this much work. It's too hard, and I just want something to be easy, just for once."

Eric sighed as he turned his gaze back towards me. I was surprised to find his blue eyes weren't emotionless. Our bond was still closed off, but everything I needed to know was in those eyes.

"I spent the past 48 hours fighting for you." I looked down. "Fighting for all of us to stay alive, but most importantly you. I...I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to be scared; I don't want to be terrified by everything. I want to be happy. It's all I've ever wanted."

"I can make you happy." He surprised me by saying.

His comment felt like a knife stabbing through my heart. I wanted to believe that, I really did. But this was Eric Northman. He would get bored of me in a week, only returning when he was bored or jealous, just like the past few months. I loved him, and I wasn't sure if I would ever stop loving him. But this...this I couldn't do anymore. I realized that now. This entire charade, it opened my eyes. I was tired of being second best, of never being good enough. I wanted more than anything to be happy, to not have to worry that something was going to come along and ruin it all. I've been miserable for so long, and I wasn't even sure if I even knew how to be happy. But I deserved to at least try, didn't I?

I just wasn't so sure I could be happy here any longer.

I let out a loud sigh, my eyes closing for a moment as my thoughts ran in circles. Neither of us spoke, though Eric would every so often brush his hand against my arm, as if assuring himself that I was still standing there. Eventually however, and with a decision in mind, I opened my eyes and looked him dead in the eye.

"I don't know if I can believe that, Eric. I want to, but I'm sceptical. And I don't want to be sceptical. Love isn't supposed to work like that. I want to be happy. I want to be loved and wanted. Which is why I don't think I can do this anymore."

"What are you saying?" He raised an eyebrow.

I inhaled sharply. "I'm saying that maybe I've been around vampires for long enough."

"What does that mean?" a darkened expression fell over his face, his voice lowering an octave.

"It means," I bit down on my bottom lip for a moment. "it means that i need to go. It's time for me to move on."

I was almost frightened by the look in his eyes. He looked like a rabid animal the moment those words escaped my lips. I almost regretted the decision. But I stopped myself from taking it back. I couldn't let him bully me into staying. I couldn't be here anymore. I needed to get out. I needed to find me.

"No. I won't allow it."

I snorted. "What are you going to do, tie me down? It's not going to work Eric."

"I will." He threatened.

I shook my head. "I'm stronger now. I've transitioned, Eric. My powers, they're so much stronger. Something changed. I feel so...god I feel so strong! I can feel it in me; I didn't think it was possible to feel like this. It's amazing."

I couldn't help the small smile that appeared on my lips.

"For the first time in my life, I feel like myself, I feel like this is who I'm supposed to be. I'm strong, I'm powerful. It's the greatest feeling in the world."

"No. You will not leave." He growled.

"You can't stop me Eric." I raised a hand and laid it on his chest. "When I'm around you, I just...I feel so weak, so helpless. And I'm not. Maybe I was before, but I'm not now."

"No."

"Eric, don't you understand? I can't stay here anymore. I have this whole Phoenix thing figured out but me...I still need to find who I am. And I can't do that here. I can't do that somewhere I'm always going to be worried about you; I'm always going to be looking over my shoulder. I need to start fresh. For the first time in my life I can actually be alone and happy."

"You were alone before. Look where that got you."

"You're right." I nodded. "Godric found me nearly dead in an alley way. But I'm different now. I was grieving before. I was sad and hurt and I needed someone to take care of me. Godric, and hell, even you, helped me get over my brother's death, helped me grow so much. But now...it's time for me to grow on my own. I need to do this, Eric. I need to figure out who I am. I don't want to be miserable for the rest of my life. I want to spend the next few centuries knowing who I am and being happy."

"What about me? What about Godric? You were the reason he didn't kill himself."

"And I'll give him a good yelling until I'm blue in the face to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." I assured. "He needs to get over his own grieving. He's been in pain for over 1400 years. He needs to forgive himself, and I don't think me being around is going to help at all. He sees Kyra in me, and that can't exactly be helped."

"And me? You're just going to leave me?" His fists clenched.

"It's sad to think that in a week or two, you probably won't even notice I'm gone." My hand trailed its way up to his cheek, cupping it softly. "I love you, Eric. I will willingly admit that. I'm stupidly in love with you, completely over the top in love with you. But you don't feel the same way, and I really don't blame you. You're a vampire, I understand that. You may want Sookie, you may not. But I don't want to be questioning that every single day of my life."

Eric closed his eyes, leaning into my touch.

"Let me go, Eric. I need this."

"You'll be back." There was a hint of confidence in his tone. "You came back before."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know. I could decide that soul searching is a complete bore and come back in a month. Or maybe I'll find something that makes me happy and never see you again. But I need to take that risk. You need to let me take that risk. Please, Eric. Just let me go."

"I don't want to." He sounded like a little child, so unlike him, that it actually made me laugh. His eyes snapped open, the rage returning. "This is not funny."

"No, it's not, you're right." I ceased my laughter. "If you care about me even in the slightest, like you claim to, then you will let me go."

Eric pushed my hand away, brushing past me angrily only to start pacing the length of the room. I sighed but just watched him, knowing he needed his own time to process things. So I sat on the edge of the bed while Eric paced, occasionally muttering words in another language. If it hadn't been such a serious situation, I would have burst out laughing at how ridiculous this all way. But I knew that would anger him further, so I was as silent as could be until he came around.

It felt like hours passed until he stopped where he was, his body turning towards me. I lifted my gaze to meet his, smiling slightly at him.

"One night."

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Give me one night."

"Eric..."

"I deserve one last night." He shook his head, determination in his eyes. "Tomorrow night. Just give me one more night and then you can do whatever the hell you want. One night, that's all I'm asking for."

I stared at him, wondering what he could possibly do in one night to try and keep me here. I wanted to tell him no, but what could it hurt? I had my mind made up. I knew deep down that this was the right decision. It couldn't hurt to stay one more night. I still needed to pack, to talk to both Godric and Sookie. One more day here would allow me to do that, and then he could have his night tomorrow before I left after dawn. Maybe it would help both of us move on, to be okay once and for all.

"Okay, one night."

* * *

**A/N:** so this is part one of the finale! it was going to be one chapter, but I got to this point, with still so much left to go that I felt it would be better as two. yes, this story is coming to an end, its so sad! I just want to take the chance to say thank you to everyone once again for reading this story. Its so nice to see that people are actually enjoying my writing, makes me feel like even though theres a thousand problems going on, that I can do one thing right and bring a smile to some of your faces. so thank you :) and do watch out for the next installment, because I expect it out in the next week or two.


	38. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty Seven:**

"How in the world did I accumulate this much crap?" I huffed, flopping down onto my bed after zipping up my last suitcase. It took a good couple of hours of scrounging around, looking in every nook and cranny until I finally had everything I could find packed away. I was amazed at all the useless trinkets and the vast amount of clothes I had found myself in the possession of. I hadn't been here very long and I had somehow collected more things than I had my entire life!

"So my child wasn't lying." A soft voice sounded from the hallway.

I propped myself up onto my elbows and smiled at Godric. "No, he wasn't lying."

"You are truly leaving then?" he took a step into the room, looking around at the empty closet and shelves. He looked absolutely lost.

"I'm afraid so." I nodded, pushing myself up into a sitting position. "It's just the right time. I need to do this."

Godric frowned as his eyes found mine. "I will miss you greatly."

"I'll miss you too, Godric. I know we've gone through a lot in the past few weeks, but you'll always be one of the most important people in my life." I felt tears pop into my eyes. I really was going to miss Godric. We've had some hardships lately, but he will always be that vampire who saved my life when no one else seemed to care.

"I still remember the lost girl who I saved almost a year ago." Godric grew closer to my bed, his hand lightly dancing over my suitcases. "You have certainly grown, Elizabeth."

"I'd like to think so." I crossed my legs underneath me and patted the bed for him to sit. He did so, his hands instantly taking mine. "Have I thanked you enough for everything you've done for me? You saved my life, gave me a home, gave me more than I ever needed. You cared for me when you didn't have to, saved my life a little more, and made me believe that I could do anything. I wouldn't have made it through this past year without you, Godric."

"You owe everything to yourself." He shook his head. "You have always been a strong woman, Elizabeth. You only needed to believe in yourself."

"I do now, and that's mostly because of you."

"I take no credit."

"Well I'm giving it to you anyways." I laughed, squeezing his hands. "By the way, I forgot in all the chaos, but I have a message for you."

"For me?" he raised an eyebrow.

I nodded. "From Kyra."

A mixture of pain and anger crossed his face. "Please, Elizabeth, I cannot..."

"Just give me two seconds, please." I held onto his hands tightly as he tried to pull away. "I won't be able to see her again, and I promised I would send her message along."

Godric sighed, his eyes falling to his lap. "Very well."

I shifted closer to the vampire, remembering the many times we had just sat and talked all night both here and in Dallas. He had been my confidant, my shoulder to cry on. I would never forget that, not in a million years.

"She loves you." I began, watching his reaction closely. "She loves you more than anything in the world. She wants you to know that she will never stop loving you."

There was a rim of bloody tears around his eyes and I squeezed his hands affectionately.

"She doesn't want you to hate yourself for what happened. She wants you to forgive yourself, to let yourself move on. She doesn't hate you. Far from it. She just wants to see you happy. None of it was your fault."

Godric opened his mouth to argue, but I simply gave him a sharp look before continuing.

"She wants you to move on, Godric. It's been 1400 years and you haven't let her go. You've been filled with so much pain and guilt that it's eating away at you. You need to let her go. She wants you to."

He looked to the side, a single tear running down his pale cheek. I raised a hand up, brushing it away.

"I know it's hard. Believe me, I've gone through losing people, I know just how hard it is. But when you do let them go, move on, it's the greatest feeling in the world. We will never truly forget the ones we've lost, that will never happen. But if we hold onto them too much, it becomes unhealthy. You love her, but it's been 1400 years, Godric. You need to let her go. It's time. It's what she wants."

Godric looked like a sad little boy whose toy was just taken away. It pained me to see him such a way. No matter what happened between us, the good and the bad, he still meant the world to me. He always would. He's been there for me more times than I can count in the past year. I meant what I had said days ago in Fangtasia; I would sacrifice myself for him. I was willing to do it in Dallas, to die right alongside of him, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Seeing him so broken, in so much pain, all I wanted to do was hug him and wish it all away.

And that's exactly what I did. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. It took a moment before his own arms found their way around me, a comfortable silence falling around us. I ran a hand up and down his back soothingly, whispering words of comfort in his ear. It felt odd at first, being the one to comfort him when it was usually the other way around. But I didn't mind at all. It was the least I could do.

"1400 years." Godric's voice was soft and barely audible. "I've been missing her for 1400 years."

"It's time to face reality, Godric." I pulled away, cupping his cheeks. "She doesn't want to see you like this. She wanted you to live, to be happy. Do that for her."

"I...I don't believe I know how." He replied honestly, bloodied tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Well it's a good thing you have a progeny who seems to have more fun than anything else." I offered him a smile. "You and Eric...I think I put a wedge in your relationship and I don't want that. You two are closer than anyone I've ever seen before. Maybe I need to leave in order for you two to remember that. Eric would do anything for you, Godric. You can lean on him."

Godric sighed. "I know. My child...I could not have asked for a better progeny."

"I think you two need to get back to how it used to be. Just maybe without the blood and guts." I laughed lightly. "Just live, Godric. You deserve it. She would want it."

He looked to the side for a moment, his eyes closing. I caressed his cheek before letting my hands fall down to my lap.

"Perhaps you are right." Godric nodded, turning his gaze back onto me. "Perhaps we both need to find ourselves."

"It's not like this is goodbye." I shrugged. "We're all going to be living for a long time. I'm not going to say we're never going to see each other again, because the odds are we will. But we all just need some time."

"I will miss you." He raised his hand, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"I'll miss you too Godric. Just like stupidly I'll miss Eric." My smile widened. "But the more you miss someone, the more likely it is that you'll see them again, that you'll find your way back to them."

"You love him." his own smile crept onto his pale lips. "You love him greatly."

A blush rose on my cheeks as I nodded. "I do. I wanted to deny it for so long, but I just can't anymore. I shouldn't love him, but I do."

"We cannot help who we fall in love with."

"Don't I know it?" I rolled my eyes before checking the time. "I should get some sleep. I promised Eric one last night, but I'm going to leave once the sun rises."

Godric nodded sadly. "I understand. You will say goodbye before you leave?"

"Of course, Godric." I hugged him tightly once more.

"Goodnight then, my dear Elizabeth." He lightly kissed my forehead before standing.

"Goodnight Godric." I watched as he left the room, feeling like my decision was most definitely for the better, for all of us.

* * *

The day went by quicker than I would have liked. I wasn't sure what to expect out of Eric tonight, what he possible could have planned in less than 24 hours. Just my luck, he'd literally try to tie me down so I wouldn't go. I snorted at the idea as I left my bedroom an hour after the sun had set. I could hear the other vampires roaming about, and I decided it was time to pull myself out of my room. I would be on my own for awhile, I may as well enjoy the company for the time being.

"There you are little phoenix."

I smiled as Andre appeared around the corner.

"Hey, I thought I heard you." I greeted him. "Have you talked to Sophie-Anne yet?"

Andre nodded, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness. "She is well. The authority has declared her the Queen of Mississippi now that Russell has been killed."

"Well I feel a little safer in Mississippi now." I chuckled. "That's good though, I'm glad she's alright."

"I told her what happened. She was very intrigued and excited about your growing powers." Andre tilted his head to the side. "She also asked me to remind you of..."

"The deal we made. I know." I nodded. "Where is she now?"

"Still in Jackson."

"Well I've never been to Mississippi before. I think I might just have to visit." I grinned. "So this won't be the last you see of me."

"I hope to see you many more times, little phoenix." Andre grasped my hand and brought it up to his lips, softly kissing the top of my hand. "You are an exquisite woman. Stupid, but exquisite."

I laughed. "I'm stupid in so many ways. I'm glad I met you Andre."

"I am honoured." He bowed his head.

I rolled my eyes before wrapping my arms around him, surprising him with an unexpected embrace. He relaxed after a moment however, and returned the hug. I hadn't known Andre very well, but I felt like he would most definitely be a friend I would keep in touch with. As with Sophie-Anne. I had lost my family years ago, but I felt like I was slowly gaining new estranged family members every day, and that thrilled me.

"I must say goodbye." Andre pulled away. "I'm leaving for Jackson shortly."

"Drive safely. No more crazy driving." I wagged my finger at him.

Andre chuckled. "I make no promises."

I smiled as he nodded at me before turning and heading down the stairs. I followed, leaning against the railing and waving as he left. It was while I was standing there that I felt a presence behind me. I nearly jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder, spinning around and squealing like a little girl.

"Don't do that!" I slapped Eric's chest, glaring up at him as I held my thumping chest.

"I apologize." He looked anything but sorry though, a smirk crossing his lips. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what exactly?" I eyed him closely. "What's with that look?"

"What look?" He asked innocently.

"The 'I have something planned' look. And usually with you, it's never good." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Eric..."

Eric's smirk widened and before I knew it, I was being thrown over his shoulder as he began to descend down the stairs.

"Eric!" I screeched. "What the hell!"

"I told you I wasn't going to let you go. Not without a fight anyways." Eric answered simply, taking a sharp turn once on the first floor and heading towards the basement.

"Let me down right now!" I demanded. "Eric!"

"I'm sorry, Ellie, but I can't do that." He lightly patted my bottom, causing another screech to emit from my lips.

"I can fry you to a crisp, remember?" I pounded my fists into his back.

"You wouldn't want to destroy what you so desperately want."

"I'm sure it'll grow back." I grumbled as we came to a halt. "Let me down Eric. Whatever you plan to do, it's not going to work."

"Oh it will. I will ensure that it does." He assured as he pulled open the metal door leading to his resting place and walked through.

I groaned as I felt myself being tossed onto the ground, not enjoying the hard landing. I glared up at Eric as he locked the door, turning back around to smirk down at me before grasping a handful of hair and yanking me to my feet.

"Ugh, what the hell!" I yelled, my hands flying to where he had a hold on my hair, pulling me towards the other side of the room.

"You are mine, Ellie. If you thought I was just going to let you walk out that door, you clearly do not know me."

I gulped when my eyes fell on the chains that fell from the ceiling of the room, dangling down just waiting for somewhat to be trapped in them. I struggled as Eric brought me closer, forcing one of my wrists into the air.

"Don't even think about fighting, my little phoenix. I don't want to hurt you." He whispered huskily into my ear, successfully closing the metal cuff around one of my wrists, forcing it up into the air by the chains.

I tried kicking at him but it was inevitable, soon both my hands were high above me, just about lifting me into the air with only the tips of my toes grazing the floor.

"Yeah, because this is making me want to stay." I tried tugging on the chains, trying to find a weak spot. "This is exactly why I want to go!"

"Ellie, Ellie, Ellie. My sweet Ellie." He grazed my jaw with a finger, lightly brushing my lips and causing me to shudder. "I always get what I want. And what I want is you. I would suggest relaxing. You will enjoy this."

"Enjoy what?" I asked sceptically, watching as he stepped away from me only to peel his shirt off. My eyes widened when I began to realize what he was going to do. "Eric...Eric no. Come on. I told you I'd give you a night. You don't have to do this. Chaining me up, is that really how you want to do this?"

Eric silently undid his jeans, pulling them down in one swift movement. I wasn't surprised to find that he wasn't wearing anything underneath, now standing before me in all his glory. And how glorious it was! I almost forgot just how well endowed the vampire was. My eyes were just about bugging out as my gaze zeroed in on his erection, not able to stare at anything else. It had felt like ages since the last time Eric and I had sex.

"I-I still have my sex ban." I reminded him, swallowing hard.

"When have I ever played by the rules, Ellie?" he slowly sauntered towards me.

"Eric...come on, we can do this without me being chained." I went back to tugging on the chains, a bead of sweat sliding down my forehead as I nervously stared at his arousal. Had it always been that big? "Eric?"

"I can't let you go, Ellie." He shook his head, raising a hand up to caress my cheek. "Trust me, you will be begging for more shortly."

Unfortunately, I knew he was right.

"Eric, please..."

He silenced me with a kiss however. The kiss was much different than the one we last shared in his office. That had been needy and desperate; a last kiss. This was rough, like he was showing the control he held. I couldn't stop myself from responding, pushing myself as best as I could against him, my arms still stretched high above me. Eric snickered as he pulled away suddenly, his eyes dancing over my body.

"I believe your overdressed." His fingers ran over the neckline of the old t-shirt I had thrown on before just ripping it down the middle and right off of me. I was speechless as his hands roamed every inch of me, his cold hand sending shivers up my spine. My eyes closed as he kneaded my bra covered breasts before quickly taking care of that article of clothing as well. The moment I felt his cool fingers teasing my nipples, I couldn't help but moan out loud. "Hm, already enjoying yourself, aren't you?"

I didn't respond as my head fell back, his lips soon attacking my one nipple while his hand took care of the other. I had forgotten the sensations I felt whenever I was with Eric. He drove me insane, made me want to stake him most of the time, but damnit, there was just no one better when it came to sex. Sure I haven't exactly had much experience, but I knew Eric Northman had forever ruined me from enjoying sex with anyone else. No one could possibly compare.

I had lost all sense of time, only caring about the pleasurable feeling running through my veins. Every touch, every kiss, every flick of the tongue, seemed to be heightened since transitioning into a full Phoenix. I wasn't sure if this was usual, but I really didn't care. I barely even paid a heed of attention when Eric pulled my jeans right off of me, leaving me in only my panties. It felt torturous as I just hung there, unable to touch his perfectly moulded body. He drew everything out, making sure I felt every possibly pleasure there was. As Eric knelt before me, his fangs extended, he began raising his hands up and down my bare legs. I shuddered at the cold touch, moaning as his hands grew higher and higher and once in awhile brushed over the crotch of my panties. I squirmed, wishing he would just hurry up already. I could feel my arousal growing the moment he took his clothes off, and now it was only heightened further. I felt like I was about to burst!

"Eric..." I moaned. "Please..."

"Please what?" He slyly asked between my legs as he slowly slid my panties down off of my hips.

I was too stubborn to beg, though I knew it was exactly what he wanted. I bit down hard on my bottom lip, forcing down the moan that was trying desperately to escape as Eric parted my legs painfully slow.

"Say it."

"Let me go." I tugged on the chains.

Eric's eyes flashed and he was on his feet in seconds. He grabbed a fist full of hair and yanked my head back painfully.

"You can yell, you can scream, but I will not let you go." He growled into my ear. "If you wanted to use your fancy powers, you would have. You want this, Ellie. Just admit that and let yourself go."

There was a sharp intake of breathe as his fingers tweaked my nipples a bit too hard. I knew he was right. If I truly was scared, if I really did want to escape, I could have already. The power that flowed through my veins, it was enough to get myself out of these confines. But I hadn't even attempted to use the strength and power I had been born with. I hadn't wanted to. Somewhere deep down inside, I wanted this. I wanted Eric to keep me tied up here for the rest of my life, to keep me his forever. That part of me overpowered the logical at the moment. Maybe in the morning that rational side of me would make a comeback. But right now, I just didn't give a fuck.

"Now, tell me what you want?" His fangs grazed over my neck.

I was still too stubborn however, to admit out loud to him what I wanted. "Let. Me. Go."

His fangs sunk into my neck at the exact time that his erection suddenly plunged right into me. I let out a scream in both pleasure and pain, Eric beginning to pound into me while he hungrily sucked my blood. He slid one arm tightly around my waist while he used the other to feel every inch of my body, his short fingernails digging into my skin, nearly causing a trail of blood.

"Oh god!" I panted. "Eric...oh...oh god!"

My body felt exhausted and spent already, but that didn't stop my hips from meeting his thrusts, taking him in deeper, if that was even possible. I could feel my orgasm growing, the peak nearing. But in an act of torture, Eric slowed down his pace, nearly stopping all together. I let out a frustrated groan, throwing my head back as Eric slowly withdrew his fangs.

"Beg." He whispered. "Beg for it."

"No." I refused, shaking my head.

Eric smirked down at me as he ever so slowly pushed back into me before withdrawing completely. He did this for a second time, and for a third, but did not pick up the pace at all. I groaned, feeling myself on the edge, so close to feeling pure pleasure.

"If that's how it's going to be, then I'm going to fuck you senseless." He threatened in my ear before slamming back into me.

* * *

A groan passed through my lips as my eyes began to flutter open. I wasn't sure what time it was, or even where I was. What I was sure of however, was how incredibly fucked I had been. There was no denying that. As I began to blink back the exhaustion, I could feel just how sore my body felt. It was a welcoming feeling though, still riding a cloud of blissfulness.

"God that was good." I admitted out loud.

A smile tugged on my lips as I moved my head, realizing for the first time that I was now in a bed, no longer chained up, and lying beside Eric himself. I attempted to move, but felt a stony arm around me, not letting me budge at all. I chuckled as I turned my attention to the clock that was in the room and saw that it wasn't even an hour passed dawn yet. I thought about settling back, sleeping for a few more hours and enjoying this moment. But I knew better. If I went back to sleep, then I would never get the courage to leave. Despite the fact that last night had been amazing...incredibly amazing...I still had to go. That had not changed. Eric must have known that, or he wouldn't have unchained me. Not that it would have done much; I would have escaped out of them eventually.

"Oh Eric." I whispered. Though as I moved over onto my side, it was obvious that Eric was dead to the world. His hair was out of place, a strand falling into his eye. I smiled to myself as I slicked it back, loving the way he looked when he wasn't so done up, when he wasn't trying to seem tough and ferocious. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, like there were no troubles in the world. He looked like an angel, so happy and content. If I had a camera near, I would have taken a dozen photos just to remember how handsome he was like this.

"I have to go." I spoke softly to his sleeping form, caressing his cheek.

I didn't want to just leave, just like that. He wasn't even awake. But I couldn't wait until dusk. If I did, it would be harder to leave. I had to go now, when I was still strong enough.

"I will always love you, Eric." I felt tears in my eyes as my thumb brushed across his full lips. "You'll always be my only love. I will never forget you."

I shifted until my lips were only an inch from his, slowly pressing them together. I squeezed my eyes closed as I kissed him lightly and pulled away. I grasped onto his arm and somehow managed to slide myself from under his tight embrace. I slipped out of the bed, grabbing his shirt that had been thrown nearby and my jeans which happened to be close enough and pulled them on. As I stood, I glanced over my shoulder at the blonde vampire, taking in every single detail.

"Goodbye, Eric. I love you."

I felt myself beginning to choke up and I knew I had to leave quickly. I sniffed, rubbing at my eyes, as I made my way over to the door. I noticed that Eric had unlocked it sometime after our exhausting fiasco. I smiled, realizing that Eric had never intended on using force to keep me here. He merely wanted one night to remind me of him, to make sure I knew that no matter where in the world I was, I was still his and always would be.

I left Eric's resting place, closing the door behind me, and began up the basement stairs to the main level. I was barely paying any attention as I found myself upstairs, standing right outside my bedroom. There was a peaceful expression on my face as I remembered last night, though a light flush crossed my cheeks as I walked into my bedroom. That flush darkened quickly when I found Godric sitting on my bed, a smirk plastered across his face.

"Have a nice evening?"

"Oh god." I hid my face in my hands, embarrassed that he had heard the entire thing. "I'm so embarrassed."

"I took a long long walk, but it seems you both have more stamina that I originally thought." There was a spark in his eyes as he stood. He sounded like the 16 year old boy that he appeared to be for the first time since knowing him.

"Oh shush."

"I am glad you enjoyed yourself." He walked over, cupping my cheek. "But it's time you left, is it not?"

I nodded, my embarrassed smile fading. "It'll be easier to just leave now."

Godric nodded in understanding. "You will be careful?"

"Of course. I'll try and keep the stupid ideas to a minimum."

"I unfortunately do not think that is possible." He playfully pinched my cheek, his smirk growing into a simple smile. "I will miss you greatly. But I know this is for the best, for all of us."

"It is." I nodded, hugging him suddenly. It felt weird to think that I wouldn't have Godric there to comfort me when I needed it. It just wouldn't feel right. "It's not forever. We'll see each other again."

"Keep in touch." He pressed me against him, his arms tightening as if he never wanted to let go. "I will hunt you down if you do not."

I chuckled. "I don't doubt that. You and Eric have that in common."

"Come back to us on day." Godric pulled away slightly, tilting my head up.

"One day." I nodded. "Maybe I won't be as big of an idiot then."

"One can hope." He laid a soft kiss on my forehead, dodging my playful slap to his chest. "Go now, Elizabeth. Be safe but have fun. You deserve that after everything."

"The same goes for you." I wagged my finger at him. "1400 years, you deserve a little bit of fun and mischief. Channel your inner 16 year old."

"I will." Godric nodded in assurance. "Goodbye Elizabeth. I am honoured to have met you, to have been able to help your grow."

"I'm thankful to god for guiding you to me." I squeezed him tightly, a tear slipping down my cheek. "I'll never forget you."

"I should hope not." He offered a smile. "Go, before Eric's ideas of tying you down become too luring."

I laughed but nodded, my hand grasping the handle of one of my suitcases. I flicked my wrists and the others were floating in the air, moving alongside of me with ease. I smiled at the amount of power I held, the simple act not exhausting me at all. Godric, my bags and I, left the room and stopped in the hallway. I looked up at the 2000 year old vampire and tried to imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn't met him. Shaking my head, I realized that it wasn't even an option. I needed to have Godric in my life, even if it was just a security blanket to know that wherever I was in the world, I would always have him to lean on.

"Goodbye, Godric."

He nodded at me, and I could tell by the ring of red around his eyes that the emotions were getting to the vampire. I simply kissed him on the cheek before turning and beginning towards the stairs. My own emotions were getting the better of me as I directed my things downward. I didn't stop once I reached the bottom, knowing that if I looked back now I wouldn't want to leave. I could feel the lump rising in my throat as I grasped the door handle after unlocking the front door, slowly opening it. The morning air was cool, a light frost on the grass as I flicked my wrist for the suitcases to leave the house before me. As I stepped onto the porch, everything began to feel real.

I was actually leaving. I had yelled it, threatened it, but I never actually thought I would follow through with it. But here I was, working my way down the driveway to my car, thankful that there was no neighbouring houses close enough to witness my powers being used. I quickly wiped away a tear as I opened the trunk, beginning to process of hauling each bag in. I tried to steer my thoughts clear of the vampires inside of that house, but it was no use. Images of Godric and Eric flashed before my eyes and I was nearly knocked over by all of the emotions. I didn't think leaving would be so hard. I suppose I cared for them greater than I had first expected.

"You're doing the right thing." I reminded myself, slamming the trunk door closed and manoeuvring my way to the driver's seat.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment as I just stood there, letting the light wind whip at my hair. When I opened my eyes and stared up at the house, a fresh batch of tears began rolling down my cheeks. I knew I was doing the right thing. I needed to do this for not only my sake, but both of theirs. It was just hard to part with the memories, the lifestyle I had been accustomed to for the past year. I thought I would hate coming to Louisiana when Godric first asked Eric to take me. But I had come to love this state, this city. It was a home to me, just like Dallas would always be. But it was time to leave, even just for a little while, to spread my wings and fly.

"I love you both." I murmured before sliding into the car, not wanting to stay for another minute.

I started the car up and without a second thought, pulled out of the driveway and began on my way. I wasn't sure where I was headed in the long run. Maybe I would just travel for awhile. My brother and I had always talked about jumping into the car and just driving once I was done school. It of course never happened; he had died before it could. But it felt like a good idea, to explore the country I called home. But first, I had to make a pit stop in Jackson Mississippi, to give Sophie-Anne the gift she had asked for when she promised me protection. I wasn't sure back then how I would do such a thing; allow her heart to beat just for a fraction of a second. As I drove through the silent streets of Shreveport, Louisiana, however, I knew without a doubt that I could it.

"Time to start a new life." I checked the rear-view mirror. "Time to start over."

I never saw the transport truck that couldn't slow down as I passed through an intersection, the lights green. I never saw as it came ploughing towards me, slamming straight into the side of my car. I was nearly unconscious when the car rolled over and over again before finally settling upside down. Everything went black before sirens could even be heard.


End file.
